TRUMP: THE ALREADY GREAT!! | GeOped

This week, while watching the newly released Indian series Panchayat, a particular dialogue caught my attention. Bhushan tells the Pradhan, “Bina drama ke aap kuch kaam karva hi nahi sakte” – you can’t get anything done without a bit of drama. Instantly, I was reminded of Donald Trump. For him, theatrics isn’t just a strategy, it’s second nature. That’s a rather unusual trait for a head of state, and it led me to reflect: What really makes Trump the way he is?

The Man Behind the Spectacle

Donald Trump’s public persona has fascinated observers as much as his policies. Rather than focusing on his presidency, this analysis examines Trump as a person – his psychology, communication, and the cultural currents that shaped him.

Psychologists say Donald Trump’s personality is highly unusual for a head of state. He’s full of energy and loves being the centre of attention; loud, restless, and always performing (we remember the many dance moves). But at the same time, he’s blunt, aggressive, and doesn’t take criticism well. One study called him “a dynamo” who’s constantly on the move, but also “rude, arrogant, and lacking in empathy.” Anger is a big part of his style; one analyst even said, “anger lies at the heart of Trump’s charisma.”

You saw it again during his recent clash with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House. After the tense exchange, Trump told media, “That was some good TV.” That’s classic Trump – treating even foreign policy as performance. He thrives on drama, demands applause, and strikes back the moment he feels challenged. It’s an unusual mix of showmanship and aggression, but it’s key to how he controls the political stage.

A Mirror Named Narcissus

Psychologists have described him as “a classic example of narcissism – there’s no better one.” He relentlessly promotes himself – from stamping his name on buildings to turning even his father’s funeral speech into a showcase of his own greatness. Like Narcissus, the mythic boy fixated on his reflection, Trump’s world revolves around being seen. His language overflows with “I,” “me,” and “my.” At Mar-a-Lago, he once declared, “I’m the king of Palm Beach… everyone loves me.”

This craving for attention has extended into cryptocurrency too. In January 2025, after winning re-election, Trump launched a meme coin called $TRUMP, with its market cap briefly soaring into the billions. It was less about fundraising, more about reinforcing his image and status. Analysts describe these traits as “malignant narcissism,” marked by entitlement, grandiosity, and fierce exploitation of others.

Loyalty plays a central role: he often treats it like a form of currency. During his first term, he cycled through four chiefs of staff – Reince Priebus, John Kelly, Mick Mulvaney, and Mark Meadows. All replaced within just one term. That churn, especially at the highest level, reflects how ruthlessly he demands fealty and removes anyone who falls short. In Trump’s worldview, people are either loyal winners or disloyal losers, and their primary value lies in how well they bolster his self-image. What was the fall with Elon Musk if not an ego clash?

Communication as Theatre

Trump’s communication style mirrors and magnifies his personality. He prefers drama over nuance, and spectacle over subtlety. His language is famously simple and punchy: short slogans, repeated phrases, and over-the-top adjectives. He calls his own projects “great,” “amazing,” “the best,” while branding opponents as “crooked,” “fake,” or just plain “losers.”

A Guardian linguistic study noted his syntax is informal and often ungrammatical with run-on sentences, random capitalisation, and heavy repetition. But this “plain style” – short words, folksy tone, and emotional delivery – helps him cut through and connect with a wide audience.

His slogans – “Make America Great Again,” “Build the wall,” or the energy chant “Drill, baby, drill” – function like marketing mantras. They’re catchy, easy to remember, and deliberately polarising. His visual branding is just as calculated: the red MAGA hat became more than merchandise – it became a tribal marker. Even his Hollywood Walk of Fame star, sometimes photographed with a MAGA cap placed on top, captures how Trump blends celebrity spectacle with political symbolism.

What sets him apart is not just how he speaks, but what that style signals. His unfiltered, unscripted manner gives him credibility – especially among voters who distrust elites or believe a “deep state” secretly controls power. To them, Trump doesn’t sound like a politician, he sounds like them: blunt, emotional, and unafraid to offend. He looks like one of their own who somehow made it to the top. That’s the core of his appeal: he isn’t just speaking for them; he’s performing as them.

The Reality-TV President

Donald Trump’s rise can’t be understood without recognising how deeply he is tied to America’s entertainment-driven media culture. Long before entering politics, he was already a household name – a flashy businessman and reality-TV star. The Apprentice didn’t just make him famous; it taught him how to command a camera, shape a persona, and build emotional connection through spectacle.

This background gave him a massive edge in an age dominated by 24/7 media, social platforms, and viral soundbites. As Scientific American noted, Trump communicates like a reality-TV character: unscripted, dramatic, and constantly pushing boundaries. Whether calling opponents “losers” or declaring “I alone can fix it,” he delivers emotionally charged messages that give supporters the thrill of watching someone break the rules.

Recent examples include his hush-money conviction in December 2024. Trump held a nearly two-hour, open-mic press briefing on the lawn of Mar-a-Lago. Instead of sober legal arguments, he ranted about “corrupt judges,” staged photo ops, and even quipped to the cameras, “They thought they’d kick me off the field—I own the field.” This shows that he continues to treat politics like performance.

His supporters see this as refreshing – a leader who doesn’t speak in polished phrases or hide behind advisors. His “off-script” style convinces many that he’s real, unlike the rest of the political class. Though sometimes he goes way off the off-script, and only the likes of Susie Wiles have the courage and respect from him to stop him.

A Voice for the Forgotten

Trump isn’t just a media figure; his rise also taps into long-standing cultural and political currents in American society. Scholars trace the roots of Trumpism to a recurring theme in U.S. history: the rebellion of small-town, rural, and working-class communities against what they see as coastal, urban, elite dominance.

Historian David Greenberg points out that this sentiment dates back to the early 20th century, when rural America began pushing back against a rapidly modernising and globalising nation. Trump gave that resentment a voice, framing himself as a champion of “forgotten Americans” against “globalists,” bureaucrats, and institutions.

His repeated attacks on the media, universities, and even parts of the military and justice system reflect this broader mistrust of elite authority. One example is his rhetoric around the January 6 Capitol riot. Instead of distancing himself from the violence, Trump has portrayed many of the rioters as “hostages,” fuelling a populist narrative of the government versus the people.

Similarly, his promise to use the Justice Department against political opponents if re-elected taps into a deeper populist theme: that institutions are no longer neutral but need to be “taken back.”

A Childhood of Contest and Control

Trump’s upbringing and early career shaped his worldview. Born into wealth and privilege as the son of Fred Trump, a ruthless real-estate magnate, Donald grew up in what some describe as a household dominated by his father’s authoritarian, “high-functioning sociopath” personality.

Mary Trump, his niece and a psychologist, argues that Fred was emotionally neglectful, chiding Donald until he showed the toughness Fred admired. Out of necessity, young Donald learned that vulnerability meant humiliation. He resolved early on that to be successful, he must dominate every situation.

As Tony Schwartz recalls, Trump believed “the only choice” was to fight and win every contest, since anything else would be “obliteration.” This mindset – win-or-lose, no nuance – shaped both his business and political ethos. His appreciation for Barron Trump having similar qualities shows how he has become a shadow of his own father.

Wealth insulated Trump from consequences of failure. His businesses suffered setbacks (Schwartz notes he insisted on writing losses as successes in The Art of the Deal), but he could always claim the mantle of success. Even his ambitions to build towering symbols of luxury reflect his need to dominate space and perception.

Emotion Over Strategy

Observers consistently paint Trump as driven by a fragile ego and a craving for validation. Schwartz warned that Trump’s self-worth is “forever at risk.” When he feels challenged, he reacts impulsively and defensively, reframing events to make himself the victim.

Michael Cohen noted his penchant for personal vendettas and demand for sugar-coated praise. Mental health experts in The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump argued his behaviour fits pathological narcissism: entitlement, grandiosity, exploitation, and an empathy deficit.

Trump’s gut-first thinking shapes every major decision. Rather than measured debate, he reacts on instinct. A telling example came during an abrupt ceasefire between Israel and Iran. When the truce faltered, Trump lashed out on camera: “I’m not happy with Israel… I’m furious.” From peacemaker to critic in a blink – driven by personal reaction over strategic analysis.

Unconventional Power

Trump’s executive style has been described as bold and unorthodox. He attracts loyalty by projecting public confidence while bypassing formal processes. Staffing decisions are based on loyalty tests – for example, appointing Musk and creating a new department, DOGE, under him.

He frames negotiations in win-lose terms, pushing rivals with bluster. This appeals to supporters who value toughness but alienates allies and institutions. Critics argue that his disdain for expertise and love for confrontation disrupt governance and diplomacy.

Conclusion: The Entertainer-In-Chief

In summary, Donald Trump’s profile is one of thrill-seeking extroversion, extreme self-regard, and combative impulsivity. He communicates with the flair of a TV celebrity – dramatic, simple, and unsubtle. He brings to politics a winner-takes-all business mindset.

Though often compared to other populists or actor-leaders, Trump’s traits are unusually intense. He speaks without a filter, values admiration over accuracy, and measures success through dominance.

These traits raise profound questions about leadership. A charismatic disruptor can indeed galvanise a base and cut through red tape. But a president so shaped by personal psychology can also prove destabilising, impulsive, and authoritarian.

As one expert on populism cautions: Trump’s brand of leadership “could mean a rollback of the core tenets of post–New Deal, post–World War II America.”

Ultimately, Trump’s story underscores a vital truth: the personality of a leader shapes the fate of a nation. Whether history sees him as visionary or dangerous will depend on how his performance presidency echoes through America’s institutions and ideals.