Donald Trump Arrogance

Teflon Don

Donald Trump is his own raison d'tetre. We all should be, but he, more than the rest of us, appears to be enamored with his own image. Like Narcissus in Greek mythology, Trump seems to have fallen hopelessly in love with himself, his image, his name and anything associated with it.

Photo - Gage Skidmore

To this end, pity the poor fool that dares to offend Trump or attack him, his response is swift and visceral. Comments like:  “loser, stiff, idiot, waste of time, stupid, clown…” the list goes on and on, are slapped on the unfortunate target of his tongue. Occasionally he goes a step too far. When Trump commented that Senator John McCain wasn’t a war hero, fellow Republicans, Texas Governor Rick Perry and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, called Trump out and denounced his antics. Trump’s responses were quick and cruel, he implied that Perry wears glassed to appear intelligent…and then reassured his audience that he wasn’t, and called Graham a “nothing” and then gave out Graham’s personal cell phone number.

The ultimate fault was not Trump’s, it was Graham and Perry’s. Both have, in the past, solicited favors and campaign contributions from Trump. In 2012, Republican candidates journeyed to see Trump as he sat in his New York offices and received visitors like Don Corleone in a scene out of The Godfather. Although Trump doesn’t seem to possess a great deal of influence outside of his business dealings, what he does possess is a lot of money. Cash is a politician’s drug of choice and Trump is a dealer. Though estimates vary greatly as to how much he is actually worth, since most of the immediate threats to the Republican nomination are career politicians, suffice it to say that he dwarfs any or all of his rival’s wealth.  And there, as Shakespeare said, “lies the rub.” 

Those who made the sojourn to Trump’s castle are now finding out that just like a mafia godfather, all favors granted have paybacks, and the payback is that Trump can now use those visits as proof of his superiority to his rivals. The image is undeniably one of subservience. His rivals will pay more for asking for the money than they ever gained by getting it.

Trumps fellow Republican candidates also seem to fear his verbal reprisals. Trump has become copy for the news media in the same way the Joe McCarthy had in the early fifties. Although most of what he says is insulting and, at times, vulgar, the media can’t get enough of him. When Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio attack Trump, it’s the Trump response that get the fat headlines. Consequently, he’s spent the least amount of money on advertising of any of the Republicans. 

Ultimately, Trump is a bully who uses his perceived wealth, the same way a schoolyard bully uses his reputation and physicality to intimidate anyone that offends him. Senator McCain it seems, got off easy. Trump publicly disparaged fellow candidate Carly Fiorina for being too unattractive to be elected, implied that the reason Fox News personality Meagan Kelly asked tough questions is that she was having her menstrual cycle and described Hispanic immigrants as rapists and murders. In spite of these insults, Trump touts himself as the best person on women’s and veterans affairs, foreign policy and immigration. Looking at life from his point of view, perhaps he’s right. He’s been married three times with two of his wives being from Eastern Europe. He’s also been accused of employing illegal immigrants and he requested and received four military deferments while attending college during the Vietnam War. Upon graduating in 1968 at the age of 22, although having been a stud first baseman and captain of the baseball team, he was classified medically ineligible for military service for an undisclosed issue, so he might just be the best authority on staying out of future military conflicts.

The constituents backing Trump for President are no different than the lackeys that hung around with the bully in school egging him on to beat up every wimp in the schoolyard and will no-doubt abandon him when someone stands up to him and puts him in his place. Then it will become obvious to everyone - that Trump is a buffoon. Until then, it matters little to “The Donald”, he’ll keep spewing his insults and gazing into his own reflection while falling deeper and more passionately in love with what he sees.