A glimpse into Trump’s scholarly and cultural impact on society is essential to understanding the global chaos. For example, United States President Donald Trump warned Iran that he would bomb the country “back to the stone ages” and that “the whole civilisation will die tonight”. Such extreme statements from the leader of the world’s most powerful military nation highlight the bizarre situation - and his flaws.
‘Bombing to the Stone Age’ refers to carpet bombing, meaning the destruction of infrastructure to force society into a primitive state. Specifically, this threat implies an intent to destroy core structures, including energy and telecommunications, educational, cultural, and medical facilities.
We could not expect anything less from a leader who declared a love for poorly educated people and has taken an adversarial approach to traditional academia, weakening existing accreditation bodies and cancelling or withdrawing research grant funding.
The book Trump: The Art of the Deal offers insights into his negotiation tactics and business philosophy. According to journalist and ghostwriter Tony Schwartz, Trump did not write the book but chose only to remove critical mentions of business colleagues. The stories behind the choice of Schwartz as a writer go back to a 1985 article published in New York Magazine, ‘A Different Kind of Donald Trump Story’, which concerned Trump’s decision to evict tenants from a building he had bought on Central Park South in 1982.
In the media, The Apprentice series transformed Trump’s public image from a regional developer to a national, tough-talking businessman, providing a template for media-driven populist politics. A biographical drama film, directed by Ali Abbasi – a Iranian-Swedish-Danish film-maker – and written by Gabriel Sherman, titled The Apprentice (2024), examines Trump’s career as a real estate entrepreneur, characterised by raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
Drawing from his mentor Roy Cohn’s teachings, Trump utilises strategies focused on three rules: always attack, never admit wrongdoing, and always claim victory, even if defeated. The core strategies Cohon taught Trump were media warfare, narrative shaping, and perception manipulation. Cohon advocated for the use of lawsuits as a tool for intimidation, always attacking first, never admitting fault, and forceful retaliation for any perceived offence.
Trump is resolute in his rhetoric and style. He relies on bombastic expressions and a ’carnival framework’, which permits him to break traditional political norms.
Donald Trump frequently makes indecent remarks in public forums. Recently, he used vulgar language in a social media post targeting Iran, demanding the opening of the Straits of Hormuz. He used a foul-mouthed message posted on Easter Sunday, threatening to turn Iranian power plants and bridges into targets. Trump has repeatedly used offensive language to describe journalists and media outlets.
While Trump campaigned on an ‘America First’ platform, his presidency has been characterised by a belligerent and unconventional approach to both foreign and domestic policy. Sixteen months into his second term, Trump deployed military forces in Somalia, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, the Caribbean Sea, Iranian nuclear sites, and Yemen and Venezuela.
The ego is a dangerous force. It creates a false self-image, blinding people to reality. Actually, the president of the United States has a fragile ego that sees criticism or failure as a narcissistic injury, triggering vengeful replies.
His actions have prompted scholarly debate regarding populism, nativism, and authoritarianism. Trump remains a central figure in Internet meme culture, with current trends focusing on international conflicts and AI-generated satire. Ironically, Trump frequently highlights that the US moved from being a ‘laughingstock’ to being respected worldwide.
Studying Trump’s personality is both legitimate and important. His behaviour is best explained by a combination of pathological narcissism, a monarchic mindset, and a deliberate madman strategy - acting erratically to keep others off balance.
He is always on stage!
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
