Trump, the Imposter

626

October 7, 2023

Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 28 September 2023
by Karl Doemens (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Peter Carioca. Edited by Laurence Bouvard.

Until now, Donald Trump has scored points with his image as a successful businessman. But now it is clear that this identity is also fake.

The result is not surprising. Donald Trump's whole career has been based on bragging, disregarding the rules, and ruthlessness. The narcissistic self-promoter from Queens learned this in the New York real estate business, refined it as a reality TV star, and later brought it to frightening perfection as president, which almost resulted in a coup d'état. So, when a New York judge calls the 77-year-old an impostor, he has more or less said Trump’s middle name.

Trump's Credo as a Politician: 'Trump First'

Compared to Trump's outrageous attacks on U.S. democracy, the inflating of his own companies’ value in earlier years almost seems like a youthful misdeed. But it exposes the character of a man who is preparing to seize the White House a second time: Truth and justice have no value for him — His only criterion for action is personal advancement.

Until now, Trump has scored points with his image as a successful businessman. It is clear now that this identity is also fake, and a large part of his wealth is simply a fabrication.

Trump, der Betrüger

Mit dem Image des erfolgreichen Geschäftsmanns hat Trump bislang gepunktet. Nun zeigt sich: Auch diese Identität ist gefälscht. Der Kommentar.

Überraschend ist der Befund nicht. Die ganze Karriere des Donald Trump basiert auf Prahlerei, Missachtung von Regeln und Skrupellosigkeit. Das hat der narzisstische Selbstdarsteller aus Queens im New Yorker Immobiliengeschäft gelernt, als Reality-TV-Star verfeinert und als Präsident zur erschreckenden Perfektion gebracht, die beinahe in einem Staatsstreich endete. Wenn ein New Yorker Richter den 77-Jährigen nun also einen Betrüger nennt, hat er quasi dessen zweiten Vornamen ausgesprochen.

Trumps Credo als Politiker: „Trump first“

Gemessen an Trumps unerhörten Attacken auf die US-Demokratie wirkt die Aufblähung seines Firmenwerts in den Jahren zuvor fast wie eine Jugendsünde. Doch die entlarvt den Charakter des Mannes, der sich anschickt, ein zweites Mal das Weiße Haus zu kapern: Wahrheit und Recht haben für ihn keinen Wert, Maßstab des Handelns ist alleine das persönliche Fortkommen.

Mit dem Image des erfolgreichen Geschäftsmanns hat Trump bislang gepunktet. Nun zeigt sich: Auch diese Identität ist gefälscht, ein großer Teil seines Reichtums schlicht erlogen.

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