Like having kids while facing jailtime, it can be read as a ploy to evade responsibility. Rational has a secondary, economics meaning, i.e. selfish, utility-maximizing - whatever furthers the individual's interests.

If you are in desperate need of something you don’t deserve that only Trump can supply, and that alone doesn’t cause you not to want it, then yes, pretending you don’t have principles is rational: it is the only thing that will get you what you want.

Trump is an ignorant Leland Gaunt. If only he can help you out of a mess you made, being helped is going to violate every remaining principle you have. Worth just getting rid of them up front.

Elizabeth Holmes is probably practicing doing her hair like Ivanka. Her pardon is going to cost a lot of money and probably some face time.

Isn't this partiuclar characteristic a bit too late in her case?

She already lacked them, so why question them now?

is self-preservation irrational?

in her position, given her history, it is 100% rational to continue lacking principles

Look how far it gets some people.

She had (two!) children solely to try and avoiding having to go to prison. She has no principles other than self-interest and self-preservation. It would be shocking if she didn’t attempt to curry favor with Trump for a pardon since he’s been handing them out to the wealthy like Halloween candy.

morals are generally not a factor that sociopaths like holmes entertain at all, and using that as your lens... your best odds of a get out of jail free card is to cozy up to the guy who pardons people that say nice things about him