“I think Joe’s ego is causing him to rebel against his handlers in these small ways.”
Joe’s pride drives him in many ways. It’s why he is so easily and quickly angered, so quick to insult people.
Pride drives D’rats and proggies heavily. But, it’s unhealthy pride, because it’s based on falsehoods. It’s false pride, and in their hearts they know it, and then their cognitive dissonance makes them emotionally unstable. Dangerous.