Buckle UP. This is a long one.
America should be run like a business. That was the marketing ploy. Many bought it. It sounded like a viable solution to our large, dynamic, and diverse country.
Ideally, as a business, the Government would continue to provide retirement benefits through Social Security. The medical component could be expanded to all Americans because health benefits should not be a privilege, but a human right. A good education would be provided to everyone, equally. This would ensure that America benefits from a generational influx of healthy, educated young minds with new ideas, concepts, and solutions to national and global issues. And the disparity between socioeconomic households would diminish because every child would have the same opportunities based on equal educational opportunities, effort, and merit. And as the saying goes, a rising tide raises all ships.
Donald Trump, who professed to be a successful businessman, used the publicity tactic to put himself in the running for the Presidency. The problem was, he wasn’t a great businessman; he wasn’t even a good one. He does publicity. The good, the bad, the lies, the spin, the influence of the rich, and the tragedy of the unfortunate. He uses it all. He doesn’t care how he gets it as long as he gets it because “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.” His success proves it.
Once upon a time, business people in New York knew who Trump was. Those in high finance lived in a very small world. They still do. Stories, gossip, and rumors shared during power lunches at Lutece, The Four Seasons, or La Grenouille enjoyed a good smirk at Trump’s expense. But his antics rarely trickled down to the masses. The elite did not take him seriously. They politely smiled, for social etiquette’s sake, at the events he finagled invitations to. They humored him because of his father’s money. The elite did not respect the Trumps. In those circles, the Trumps were not considered high-brow, because no amount of money can buy you class or respect. It can, however, buy you the illusion of it. Trump bought it in spades through publicity.
Although he attended good schools, his school records, teachers, and classmates have acknowledged that he cheated on tests, in sports, with women, in evading military service, and in business. His bankruptcies and his immoral, unethical, and repugnant behavior were initially buried under his father’s money. Today, in Trump world, people- those who bought into the hype don’t believe the reports, documentation, and evidence. They believe him. Why? Because, according to Trump, “You’ll never be successful selling a product if you don’t like and believe in it. If you don’t believe it, if you don’t believe it yourself, it will never work.” Trump likes himself. He sells himself. He believes everything he says.
Most Americans were busy living their lives. They worked to sustain their families. They trusted the Government with their taxes to do the right thing. That was what they voted for: representatives and representation that would do the right thing. Improve health standards, education, and access to clean water and air; build better roads; develop technology and infrastructure; strengthen international relations; encourage creativity. It all boiled down to their individual dreams and the opportunities available to them.
The Apprentice
And Trump created his own opportunities. He projected an image of a successful businessman and marketed himself. His most successful publicity stunt was accepting the lead role in a reality show called The Apprentice. The Apprentice reintroduced Donald as an established, successful businessman—thereby propelling the Trump brand.
The show was a major opportunity for producers to create his persona and sell not only his image to America, but his products. The TV show was served weekly to America. And Americans drank it up. Week after week, viewers watched, learned, and bet on who would be fired next. Thousands applied, hoping to become a real Trump business apprentice. Others participated in it for the same reason Trump did: publicity.
Unfortunately, the immoral, unethical, and repugnant things Donald Trump had done and was doing were buried on the proverbial page 7 or 8. He paid off his victims or those who knew of his nefarious misdeeds. His relationships with women, young girls, his business partners, banks, and even his children were carefully and artfully manufactured and marketed. “ I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ‘em by the p****” .” The shocking result was that people didn’t care! He was the star of The Apprentice! Clearly, he is a good businessman. The publicity and the illusions said so. Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Bankruptcies – A Business Plan
He inflated his properties for loan purposes and deflated them for tax purposes. He claimed banks would no longer work with him because of political discrimination, not because he was doing anything illegal or wrong. The few banks that did lend to him admitted they did so because of other wealthy clients Trump introduced them to, who secured large loans at high interest rates. This created more revenue for banks. A win/win, right? Those banks ignored the regulations intended to prevent fraudulent practices until they were legally forced to comply.
After the first season of The Apprentice, Donald filed for bankruptcy over the Taj Mahal. He was 1.8 million dollars in debt. His success was an illusion. In reality TV, the producers made Trump look successful to make the show successful. His performance was for publicity. And it worked with over 20 million viewers every week.
His 6 bankruptcies became irrelevant. That became his business model. Borrow the money, make your money, don’t pay the contractors, don’t pay the bank, file bankruptcy, restructure the loan, rinse and repeat. And that business practice is how he is running the government. Our debt has never been higher. He is bankrupting us, but he is so old, he won’t suffer or be held accountable. And he has set up his family to avoid accountability. That isn’t a successful businessman. That is a successful grifter, con artist, fraudster, and liar. And to be on the safe side, I will state that this is my opinion. I am entitled to it. It is an American right, until he takes that away from all of us too.
Whitewashing
He is whitewashing America’s history. He has branded his name on government institutions and programs, an airport, streets, TrumpRx, U.S. passports, and national parks annual passes; his signature is on US currency, federal buildings, the Kennedy Center, and the United States Institute of Peace. Babies will grow up having a Trump account. He is whitewashing our history by removing books, monuments, and exhibits that document the negative, immoral, self-righteous history of the United States. He is replacing it with exaggerated, grandiose, fictitious, and prideful moments that illustrate the arrival of the white man as the sole benefactor and discoverer of America. He is diminishing the Indigenous tribes, Alaska Indians, and Hispanics, who existed on this land prior to “the discovery of America.” He has encouraged the removal of slavery and systemic racism in federal exhibits, museums, and national parks, labeling them as divisive and “toxic”.
Daddy Help Me
He has even whitewashed his own history. His parents sent him away to military school, but it was also reported they didn’t like him. They couldn’t discipline him. Or at least his mother couldn’t. His father was, well, absent, being “King of Miami Beach”. And by King of Miami Beach, it is known that Fred Trump was a philanderer, playboy, and rake. Donald’s parents focused on Fred Jr., Donald’s older, handsome brother. Fred Jr. wasn’t interested in the family business. He wanted to be a pilot. His father’s incessant pressure contributed to his drinking and early death. His death made Donald the male heir to the family business.
His father bankrolled Trump on several occasions, including a delinquent and illegally paid 18.4 million bond payment for Trump’s Castle Casino Resort.
Trump’s publicity, for the most part, worked. Many Americans don’t care about his character. To have the President of the United States behave unethically, immorally, and uncivilly without remorse or consequences, well, it gives more than permission and justification for equally immoral individuals to behave in like manner. It became fashionable, alluring, trendy, and cool. Like being a jock in high school, some never stop fantasizing, in their La-Z-Boy, about those good old days. Cheer for the man who promised, but did not make America great again. Great slogan. Great branding. All for Donald Trump or off with your heads. Come on, girls, shake those pom-poms.
For those who are guilty of cheating in school, cheating in games, cheating in relationships, cheating on taxes, cheating in business, welcome home. There’s no glory or honor in the “fake” win, but there is money. And somehow, in Donald’s world, money, however obtained, equates to success and power, unless, heaven forbid, you lose. then deny, deny, deny.
Repeat After me, I’m a Winner
Trump did not win in 2020. He refused to accept that. Maybe he is still living in his unreal reality show called “The Presidency.” He tried to get states to cheat for him. He got supporters to literally fight for him. His schemes and machinations had always worked in the past; he could “persuade” people to do what he needed done, right? You know, make them an offer they can’t refuse. What a deal maker!
But every once in a while, people- ethical people- chose to do the right thing. The Secret Service refused to drive him to meet the crowd on January 6, even when Trump, in a fit of rage, reached over to the front seat and grabbed the steering wheel. Vice President Pence found the courage to disobey Trump. Pence chose to follow the law. He courageously stated that he lacked the constitutional authority to reject electoral votes. He certified the election while Trump chanted with the insurrectionists to hang him. Brad Raffensperger refused to fake ballots to get Trump his 11,780 votes. Trump didn’t broker that deal well. He didn’t win, and he can’t live knowing he was and is second best, a loser.
Just ask Trump. Evidence showed he lost. Courts proved he lost. His own judges looked at the evidence and concluded he lost! His own cabinet told him he lost. He refused and continues to refuse to accept that. Trump’s philosophy: If you hear something over and over, eventually you will choose to believe it. Repetition works. He demands that his subjects denounce the election as a fraud to prove their loyalty. He labels it the Big Lie. Truth marketed it as a lie. MAGA heard this repeatedly from the loser. They believed him.
He has said, ” As long as you keep repeating something, it doesn’t matter what you say.” Over time, the line between fiction and reality blurs. Publicity and branding. When confronted, he often doubles down and gaslights about what everyone saw and heard on live TV. “I didn’t say that.” Cue to videos showing that he said exactly what he said he did not say.
And when questioned or asked to explain his actions, policies, or behavior, he flips the narrative: “Who are you with?” He avoids answering. He avoids accountability. He redirects and deflects. The questions are never answered. Transparency is cloaked behind “In seven days” or “Oh, the fake news. You have no ratings.” or “Be Quiet, Piggy.” It is a reporter’s job to ask questions. Instead, reporters are stymied, ridiculed, dismissed, degraded, and their journalistic integrity negated. If Trump tells MAGA repeatedly that Journalists are evil, bad, or partial, they believe him. He keeps serving it up. They keep eating it.
You Know You Knew
Perspective demands some consideration regarding mental health issues. Sometimes it might produce, well, sympathy. Forgive him, or consider that perhaps his mental health explains his attitude, actions, and behavior. It is a valid defense.
However, others with some semblance of sanity did and do know what he did and does. A large percentage of people in Trump world have said disparaging, ugly, even defamatory things about Donald.
Bill Barr, Trump’s former Attorney General, stated that Trump is fundamentally flawed and is a “consummate narcissist. Barr stated that Trump’s voter fraud claims were and are “bogus,” “crazy,” and detached from reality.
Lindsey Graham said that Trump was a “kook,” “crazy,” “a jackass,” “a race-baiting xenophobic,” and a “religious bigot.”
JD Vance, Trump’s Vice President, called Trump an “idiot” and “reprehensible,” and called him “America’s Hitler.
Marco Rubio called Trump a “con artist” and accused Trump of running a “scam”. Rubio also said that Trump was “the most vulgar person to ever aspire to the presidency”
Pete Hegseth called him “all bluster,” with very little substance and an “armchair tough guy.”
John Bolton, one of Trump’s national security advisers, said that Trump is “unfit to be president.”
John Kelly, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, publicly said that Trump is a fascist, has no concept of the Constitution, and is the most flawed person he has ever known.
James Mattis, Trump’s first defense secretary, said, “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people – does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.”
Mark Milley, a retired US Army general, called Trump “a fascist to the core” and is DOING “great and irreparable harm”
Mike Pence, Trump’s former Vice President, said, “Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president again.”
Rex Tillerson, another one of Trump’s Secretaries of State, called Trump “a moron.”
What was the motive for the defamatory comments from so many people? And why, if they felt or feel that way, did they continue to support him? Some tried to curtail him. As a result, they got demoted or fired, and some courageously resigned. And the Americans who continue to trust him… well, don’t we all need professional help?
I would quote women too, but why bother? The repeated story continues. Women are mentally imbalanced, hormone-compromised, biblically irrelevant, or sorely uneducated. As I was told in a meeting once, “No one listens to women.”
I have no idea why any woman could justify voting for him. I have watched their interviews. You know the ones where they are asked why they like or support Trump. They behave like groupies. Some are giddy with excitement at the prospect of hearing him speak or meeting him. Some admit to hoping he will notice them personally. They sound and act drunk on trump mania or Trump derangement. “Boys will be boys.” “Just locker room talk.” “I think he is wonderful!” “He won’t accept a paycheck!” “Some people can’t take a joke.” “I think he is handsome!” “He is the best president we have ever had!” “He is a businessman, look at his success!” Good idea, look at it, I dare you.
27 women have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct, from harassment and groping to rape, even his first wife! These allegations have surfaced in multiple public reports, documentaries, and legal actions. We won’t even discuss the ever-elusive, redacted Epstein files. But you know, women! They just make stuff up. Geez!
You know who makes stuff up? Trump. He and his family have used his position to enrich themselves, pardon themselves, and promote their own interests. He proudly announces that he is not accepting a paycheck but uses inside information to invest in or divest from the stock market and cryptocurrency. He has Presidential merch for sale. He promotes his allies’ products. He sells the presidency. He sues the American government for millions. His salary is a mere pittance compared to the millions he has amassed through the deals he has made as President. The only one benefiting from the “great deal maker” is the deal maker. What have the American people gained since he became President?
Affordability, A Dirty Word
His actions have artificially inflated the prices of gas, groceries, and energy for Americans, but his family and corporations have profited. Oil companies have made billions of dollars in profits since the Iran war. Walmart, the leading grocery retailer, has reported $177.75 billion in profit, a 7.3% year-over-year increase. Amazon’s increase in net income totaled $92.9 billion. Facebook’s net income of $26.77 billion was substantially boosted by a one-off tax benefit. U.S. utility leaders like Duke Energy posted net incomes exceeding $2.6 billion for the six-month period ending June 30, 2026. And Trump’s family? Their business ventures generated massive revenue of $2.2-$2.4 billion. But, yeah, send him more of your money; he needs it.
And who is paying for those increases in our gas, groceries, and utilities? Not Trump. Not the corporations. The American people. The taxpayers. Approximately $200 million has been redirected from Federal agencies such as the Secret Service and the White House Military Office to finance Trump’s renovations and lifestyle. $ 70 million was sourced from an unidentified entity. Gee, who could that be? Everything is going up and into the pockets of the greedy, American citizen-made billionaires and Trump. Refer back to his business model. Borrow money, take the money, don’t pay anyone, refinance, rinse and repeat. But, yes, let’s publicize that he “refuses” to take a paycheck.
Consider all the health and human services that our tax dollars are no longer funding. He has halted grants for education, public health, science research, small businesses, and infrastructure projects. He has diminished Cancer research, clean air initiatives, Federal and state parks, and withdrawn from the World Health Organization. Just to name a few agencies he has gutted. These are programs that American citizens value. These are programs American people benefited from directly and indirectly. How do Americans benefit when Trump’s family or the corporations make billions of dollars? Americans don’t.
Peace and Safety Anyone?
He is increasing funding for the Department of WAR. He has decreased taxes on the richest corporations in America. He has increased our debt, not his. These are what the American people’s taxes are now paying for since he has become President. Think about why. As the American people become more and more disenchanted with his administration, he will have the funds, personnel, and ammunition to quell any and all demonstrations he deems disruptive. He is slowly labeling some Americans and organizations as terrorists, which allows him to use American forces against Americans in America.
Are we all on the mentally ill spectrum? Perhaps. Isn’t insanity doing the same thing and expecting a different result? Somebody voted him in twice. Or were the elections rigged? Is that why he claims the elections are rigged, because he rigged them? We want elected officials to do the right thing for the American people, not the corrupt thing for one man and his minions. Most are not interested in politics. Americans want opportunities. Americans want equality. Americans want freedom and agency to live lives in peace and safety. Who is feeling peace or safety these days?
The choice to elect and continue to support Donald Trump, whose record reeks of corruption, greed, and self-adulation, surely indicates a lack of common sense and an insecure need to belong to a herd. And hurrah for the small percentage who have stocks and 401(k) s. When, not if, it crashes, will you be woke then? Doubt it.
Those who remain Trump supporters are the ones who have invested the most. That might mean financial investments, time, or energy. To consider that your investment has profited you nothing or has actually diminished the value of your investment, well, that is hard to accept. Some won’t accept it. They will dig their heels in and invest more. It’s hard to admit a bad investment, whether with money, time, or energy.
Greedy Conflicting Consequences
What Americans need to do is look at the consequences for the country. You personally might be experiencing a stock surge. I’ve heard some say, “I don’t like him. I don’t like his policies. I don’t like the tariffs; I don’t like that we’re at war. I don’t like the gas prices. I don’t like the food prices. I don’t like that he raped women. I don’t like how he uses the government to punish his perceived enemies. I don’t like anything he is doing. But my stocks! I’ve made so much money! I like my portfolio!” What a trade-off. Proverbs, you’ve heard of it says something like greed causes conflict. Feel any conflict lately?
For most Americans, owning stock is just not possible. Paying rent, buying food, school supplies, and medical expenses take up more than their paycheck provides. Do you care? Do you ever imagine your stocks crashing? Does it keep you up at night worrying? Can you feel the fear? If you don’t, you should.
Fear Rules The Day
Trump has successfully infused the American people with fear. Fear of a crash. Fear of AI. Fear of the future. Fear of his retribution. Fear of audits. Fear for our children’s safety. Fear of different faiths. Fear of armed soldiers. fear of the police. Fear of our neighbors. Fear of “them”. Fear of death for peacefully demonstrating. Fear of ostracization from family, friends, and neighbors if we aren’t demonstrating a MAGA alliance in our front yard with our American flag. I was told I could leave a cousin’s house when I really asked if he supported Trump. Fear of anyone who looks different, believes different, or speaks different. The rise in white supremacy is just one example of how Trump has infused bigotry within a country that historically welcomed individuals fleeing persecution, offering asylum and refugee status to those unable to return to their native home due to persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion. And now many Americans experience persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, social group, or political opinion in the United States as legit citizens.
Soon, we will not fight or protest soldiers “protecting” our streets; we will welcome them because of fear. Curfews will be imposed. Rights will be diminished. Freedoms will be redefined. You must prove your loyalty with whatever demands they impose. And they will impose them; they already are.
Make America Great Again means what exactly? Run it like a business? The powerful will be financially successful. Playing golf on land that raped nature. Building resorts that produce fake fun, in covered saltwater pools and game rooms. Access to our rivers, oceans, and lakes will be prohibited due to industrial pollution. Hiking, swimming, skiing, and sports will be experienced through virtual reality.
The 1% will enjoy their resorts, healthy food, and yachts that won’t rescue stranded citizens. Instead, the population will be fed contaminated processed garbage. More will die because this government is telling parents that tried-and-true vaccines are causing autism and death. Soon another virus will enter our society, and there will not be enough scientists to find a cure. But that will be Okay by Trump because if older people die, then less money will be paid out to Social Security. Any labor or employment will be obtained to support the 1%’s lifestyle. And we will be grateful for any employment we can get. We will need funds to pay the interest on our generational debt for medical expenses, education, and our senior citizens’ retirement needs.
Maybe we could return to running the American government like a government for and by the people. To help the people build America as a land of opportunity. A land where we respect the agency of others to choose their way of life without infringing on others’ choices. I might not understand your choices, but as an American, I still have a responsibility to defend them.
How about we market that America?