By Kenneth Tiven
Donald Trump’s second term has cast him once again in the starring role of a global homage to his self-styled persona as a “dominating negotiator,” perfected on The Apprentice—the fake reality television show he hosted for 14 seasons, teaching contestants how to wield power without consequence.
Millions of Americans confused that performance with reality, overlooking Trump’s actual resume as a bankrupt casino owner, and elected him—twice—as president. Now back in office, he rewards dictators, orchestrates the seizure of a foreign leader from his home, threatens to confiscate the assets of NATO allies, abandons Ukraine to the ambitions of Vladimir Putin, and wages war against immigrants and foreign visitors to the United States with little regard for law or human conscience.
Trump’s presidential performance has grown increasingly bombastic towards friend and foe alike. His compulsion to insult and intimidate reflects a deep resentment at never having earned the respect of half the country. As he ages, his rhetoric and conduct feel less strategic than enraged—signals of a deteriorating emotional and physical state projected onto the presidency itself.
Domestically, Trump’s dogmatic behaviour increasingly resembles the confrontation between Iran’s ageing religious rulers and younger citizens demanding economic opportunity and social freedom. The irony is unmistakable—except to America’s own ageing and angry leader. Even Iran’s authorities, fearing international retaliation, have publicly pledged not to execute or mistreat protesters. In the United States, restraint appears to be in shorter supply.
Trump and his most loyal MAGA followers frame all of this as “toughness”. Yet his hastily assembled army of masked federal enforcers has exposed an ICE operation that appears neither well-trained nor well-intentioned. The apparent, senseless public execution of a white, middle-aged Minneapolis woman has instead energized Americans unwilling to surrender their constitutional right to protest, dissent, and live freely in what was once an open society.
Public opinion is shifting. A CNN poll conducted January 9-12 found that more than half of Americans believe ICE is making cities less safe; only 31 percent say its operations improve security. To bend those numbers in his favour, Trump is spending billions wrapping the country in a blanket of fear.
The model is familiar. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán subdued independent media and civil society without firing a shot. Trump appears to admire the technique. Both rely on George Orwell’s warning in 1984: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.” After 1945, the United States—however imperfectly—stood for decolonization and democratic independence. That legacy is now in retreat.
Economist Paul Krugman has observed that had America’s home-grown authoritarians been as patient as Orbán, a de facto dictatorship might already exist. Instead, Trump and his inner circle demand immediate retribution and submission. Threats and dominance displays are their preferred tools. They burn with racism, misogyny, and performative cruelty—terrorizing not only people of colour, but anyone who protests or gets in their way. MAGA supporters tell pollsters the Minneapolis killing was justified. Most Americans disagree, with anger and contempt for Trump steadily rising.
Trump remains, undeniably, a skilled salesman—never allowing facts or reality to slow him down. Surrounded by like-minded advisers, he now deploys belligerence as a governing philosophy. Loyalty, not competence, is the currency he demands—from an amateurish cabinet and from ICE agents operating with all the subtlety of authoritarian police forces past. Trump even claims the Minneapolis victim provoked her own death. This is the same president who returned to office and pardoned 1,600 convicted January 6 insurrectionists who tried to keep him in power.
His hostility towards immigrants carries a striking hypocrisy. Trump married two women from Eastern Europe. His grandfather, Friedrich Trump, fled Germany in the late 19th century after dodging military service. His father, Fred Trump, grew wealthy building housing for the US government during World War II. Donald Trump himself avoided the Vietnam draft, inherited wealth, and absorbed his father’s cruelty as a lesson in dominance. Roy Cohn—Fred Trump’s lawyer and Donald’s mentor—taught him that anything benefiting a client was defensible, legality be damned. Trump was an eager student.
Decency, fairness, and empathy are not qualifications in this administration. Several attorneys in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have reportedly resigned in protest over the refusal to investigate the Minneapolis killing. Only a Trump-managed FBI would decide to investigate the victim rather than the shooter. Body-camera footage shows ICE agent Jonathan Ross firing three shots as the woman drove away, then muttering, “Fucking bitch”. There is no remorse—only blame.
Standard protocol when law enforcement kills a civilian is an immediate probe of the officer. Yet at least four senior leaders in the FBI’s criminal investigations division have reportedly resigned amid pressure to do otherwise. It must be grim inside an institution when officials with prestigious careers choose to walk away. Representative Ilhan Omar, who represents Minneapolis, called the killing “state violence” and demanded a full investigation and legal accountability for ICE.
Stephen Miller, Trump’s assistant chief of staff and ideological enforcer, offered the administration’s counter-message on Fox News. Declaring federal immunity for ICE officers, Miller warned that anyone obstructing them commits a felony. He is not a practicing attorney—but as co-founder of America First Legal, he wields enormous influence. Like Roy Cohn before him, he feeds Trump’s appetite for confrontation.
Trump scandals typically burn for three days before being eclipsed by the next outrage. But pressure continues to mount over why 98 percent of the Epstein documents—legally required for release in mid-December—remain sealed. The explanation is obvious: they reportedly include accounts Trump would prefer remain hidden.
Reality occasionally intrudes. In a meeting with oil executives about Venezuelan heavy crude, one executive bluntly explained there was no reason to invest in a lawless country with no security guarantees. Trump responded by publicly disinviting him from future opportunities—after reportedly spending much of the meeting staring out a window, describing plans for his ballroom.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is now under attack through a manufactured probe widely viewed as retaliation for refusing to tailor monetary policy to Trump’s political needs. Powell, whom Trump appointed in his first term, has said he will not resign and will remain on the Fed’s governing board after his term ends in 2026.
And then there is Greenland. Trump reportedly wants the world’s largest island—perhaps to rename it “Trumpland”—convinced that mineral wealth lies beneath the ice. Advisors gloss over the climate, cost, and geopolitics. Denmark has said no. Greenland has said no. Trump insists that “anything less than owning Greenland is unacceptable,” even if it fractures NATO and hands Vladimir Putin a strategic gift. This is not strategy. It is spectacle. And America is no longer just watching—it is the stage.
—The writer has worked in senior positions at The Washington Post, NBC, ABC and CNN and also consults for several Indian channels
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