Trump’s self image – singular strength

Trump Tower, Trump Chicago, Trump Doral, Trump International Beach Resort, Trump University…Trump, Trump, Trump. Not Trump and partner, not Trump & Sons, only Trump. He sees himself singly – all knowing, all powerful, in need of no one else – not partners, not advisors (“I need the kind of generals that Hitler had”). He himself is the source of strength. And that belief in his strength is at his core.

Trump’s central and perhaps only guide is clearly seen in his obsession with the world’s dictators. This statement made in a right wing talk show interview is telling, “So, Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s strongest peace force… We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right. No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy… I know him very well. Very, very well.”

Trump’s admiration for Putin is above all others. But there are others – a 2019 CNN article highlighted several:

“Kim Jong Un has been, really, somebody that I’ve gotten to know very well and respect, and hopefully – and I really believe that, over a period of time, a lot of tremendous things will happen.”

“Thank you very much. It’s a great honor and privilege – because he’s become a friend of mine – to introduce President Erdogan of Turkey. He’s running a very difficult part of the world. He’s involved very, very strongly and, frankly, he’s getting very high marks.”

“President Xi, who is a strong man, I call him King, he said, ‘But I am not King, I am president.’ I said, ‘No, you’re president for life and therefore, you’re King.’ He said, ‘Huh. Huh.’ He liked that.” 

These are all authoritarian rulers – standalone dictators. Trump is compulsively drawn to their strength, and aspires to similar and even greater power.

Trump’s sense of omnipotence has manifested infamously in his attitude and acts toward women. Recall the 2005 video: “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.” And is it even conceivable that a man can pin a woman against the wall of a changing room in a department store, lift up her skirt, and rape her?

And far more dangerous: “I think to me, nuclear, is just the power, the devastation is very important to me.” He is infatuated with “the power”.

Trump’s need for the limelight is well known. An extension of that is his need to see himself exhibiting strength, power. In this context, Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony regarding the January 6 insurrection becomes even more credible:  “‘I’m the effing president. Take me up to the Capitol now,'” Hutchinson quoted an enraged Trump as saying. She said Trump tried from the back seat to grab the steering wheel of the heavily armored presidential vehicle and lunged in anger at a Secret Service official. He wanted to experience the violence of his calling.

The flip side of Trump’s obsession with strength is his disdain for weakness – weakness he perceives in others or other countries.

Immigrants become a clear example. These people are weak because they were born into circumstances of poverty and extreme violence (and they are not white like Trump). A recent encounter illustrates Trump’s disdain, as just reported in The Atlantic. In 2020 Vanessa Guillen, a 20 year old Army private born to Mexican immigrants was bludgeoned to death by a fellow soldier at Ft. Hood TX. Trump invited the Guillen family to a staged event at the White House. In addition to his condolences, Trump offered to personally pay for funeral services. Several months later the issue of this offer came up in a briefing. Reportedly Trump asked “Did they bill us for the funeral? What did it cost?” An aide answered that yes, a bill had been received for a funeral cost of $60,000. Trump’s angry response was “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a fucking Mexican!” 

Regarding immigrants, the Trump solution is to get rid of them, and perhaps the more ruthlessly the better.

Another example of Trump’s view and disdain for weakness has been shown through his attitude for military personell – particularly captured or wounded weaklings. A number of examples of Trump referring to wounded and killed servicemen as “losers” have been quoted in the media.

Of particular note were his comments regarding John McCain, the heroic Navy pilot who was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese and spent 5 years in a Hanoi prison where he was repeatedly beaten and tortured. Trump said this: “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.”

Another striking example, also reported in The Atlantic. General Mark Milley was chosen by Trump to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Milley selected Luis Avila to sing “God Bless America” at his welcoming ceremony. Avila served in 5 combat tours, had lost a leg, suffered brain damage, and had had 2 heart attacks and 2 strokes. Following the singing, Trump congratulated Avila, but then to others questioned “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.” A broken and cripple serviceman was viewed as a weakness not to be seen in public.

Trump received several relatively weak deferrals from service in Viet Nam. As to his views of that service, Trump has said “Vietnam would have been a waste of time for me. Only suckers went to Vietnam.”

Trump’s view of black Americans surely follows the same pattern. In February 2024 Trump said black voters were drawn to him because of his criminal indictments and mugshot – a clear racist statement. And the $399 Gold Sneakers, as adroitly interpreted by Fox News’s Raymond Arroyo, “This is connecting with Black America because they love sneakers… This is a big deal, certainly in the inner city.” It is likely Trump harbors his disdain of black Americans because of skin color and being born into disadvantaged circumstance in this country.

Foreign Policy

 That Trump would pursue mutually beneficial relationships with the world’s strongest dictators seems likely. And on the flip side of that, relations with civil, democratic nations will be in peril.

 So, NATO. The U.S. is by far the heavy weight in the alliance – its strength. Trump’s abhorrence of perceived weakness is manifested in his views of the U.S. “partners” in NATO. (Recall the absence of partners in any Trump enterprise). And recall his question “What good is NATO?” And equally telling, per CNN (Feb 2024) “President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would encourage Russia to do ‘whatever the hell they want’ to any NATO member country that doesn’t meet spending guidelines on defense in a stunning admission he would not abide by the collective-defense clause at the heart of the alliance if reelected”. The spending issue is misused by Trump as a justification.

Trump sees NATO allies as weak – unable to defend themselves, so they fall into the same disdainful category as all other weaklings. NATO will fall apart if Trump becomes president, in favor of the preferred aggressor Russia. Similarly, Ukraine will fall early on, as another weakling.

Trump’s self-image is one of singular, ultimate strength. He is dangerously attracted to  other strongman dictators and to dangerous actions, including the use of the “power, the devastation” of nuclear weapons. He abhors any sign of perceived weakness regardless of bravery or circumstance underlying the weakness, and this applies equally to individuals and nations. He is the ultimate bully though this is nowhere near an adequate description. He is an ultimate despot, in league with the few from recent history for which we make comparisons.

“He is more dangerous than anyone can imagine”.