Donald Trump is a strange individual, but he follows a predictable pattern of behavior, if we bear in mind his prevailing narcissism, and an unchecked narcissistic personality disorder. From a sociopolitical perspective, I would certainly say that he has no ideology, no sense of ethics, no moral principles and is what you might consider to be a kind of new politician driven by marketing.
Donald — I hope he forgives the informality — is first and foremost a million-dollar public relations man and a meddling, demanding trouble-maker. He has undoubtedly created his “own brand,” something increasingly common in contemporary politics (and not just American politics, either.) Politicians know that in today’s world, image is essential, and certain key figures within the political sphere (like Trump,) cultivate it very well, perfecting this image to achieve surprising results. Ideas, goals, objectives: none of it matters. What matters is selling smoke, and selling it well.
Trump is like an expert veteran poker player who knows the rules by heart and has a plan for how he will play his cards. He knows that having lots of money is key to being president of the United States, but not enough. He understands that he has to dazzle his followers. The others, his adversaries, don’t matter to him. To stoke a fan base, you have to stir motions, not present rational arguments.
This is how Trump manages to capture the voters’ attention: with simple, easily digestible concepts that avoid doubt or complexity. His emotional but irrational way of speaking is meant to revive the AMERICAN DREAM, the idea that one is SELF-MADE, the concept which asks “not what your country can do for you [but] what you can do for your country.”
Trump is very clear that he does not need to fool people with “unattainable moral principles” because, on the one hand, there is a great sense of collective disillusionment and apathy that works in his favor, and on the other, there is a huge lack of education in general, so his messaging has to be simple, almost infantile. He isn’t speaking to the educated, but to a simple and common audience. To be a political leader, you don’t need to know anything, you don’t need training or privileged information, and you don’t need to study or read the news, since you can get everything you need from the famous, now familiar, Mr. Google. All you need to know is how to be good at seduction/manipulation/persuasion.
According to the polls, Trump’s image is better received and resonates more among the lower social classes, including the frustrated, unemployed and marginalized. Trump’s behavior deliberately leads people to turn against a common enemy of his own creation: immigrants who are taking their jobs in middle America, Latinos imposing their language on the country and allegedly eroding English in states such as Florida, New Mexico and Texas, Asians “invading” large sectors of the base “by stealth,” creating their own ghettos in the process, drug addicts whom Trump scorns even though he needs them, even Black people, although he hides his racism.
On the other hand, if you look closely, it is clear that the newly elected president knows his caricature is much more effective than his real self, which is why he is undeniably theatrical, gesturing, dancing and in how he dresses all so that he doesn’t veer from a script. He is also charismatic; he comes across as the “high priest” who is going to fix all the country’s problems and return it to its former glory, restoring a country that lost its grandeur when Trump’s opponents, the Democrats, defiled it by appointing the doddery and decrepit President Joe Biden.
To be sure, all the experts and pseudo-experts agree that we are up against a pathological narcissist; a person with extraordinary self-esteem and an abnormal belief in his own superiority. Trump is an unstoppable opportunist, driven by the simple erogenous pleasure he derives from “power” instead of money (having so much of it already). The U.S. president knows that what really works is patriotic, imperialist language, which at its heart hammer home how the U.S. is different from the rest of the world.
Like any good narcissist, Trump has a clear protective shield and an obvious emotional coldness. If you watch him on video, you will see he maintains a uniform outward appearance: Having such a constant, standard look isn’t natural, but he knows it is what his audience wants. He wears very traditional clothes and gestures and moves rigidly. As if this were not enough, his marketing projects a striking image and makes sure he doesn’t venture from his exaggerated style for even a second. As the news broadcast a few days ago, “There’s a new sheriff in town.” Message received, loud and clear.
Musk, the Other Side of the Coin
On the other hand, we have Elon Musk, who recently made a shining debut on the American political scene and who shares many of Trump’s personality traits, although with certain key differences.
Musk is also a business shark, with boundless ambition and intent on achieving his objectives at any cost. Both sides win from this alliance Musk and Trump have forged. Trump can use this relationship to further his access to information, gain control of data, particularly metadata (the data that cannot be seen and that we have to be prepared for.) In exchange, Musk comes within reaching distance of power (and the fascination it entails) direct from the White House, a privilege usually reserved for those of a certain class (certainly not for an upstart like himself), and something that exposes him to the twists and turns of politics. It gives him the power to spread his opinions and desires to “every” citizen in the U.S. and around the world. An orgasmic prospect for any narcissist.
Musk is not used to leading the masses; he is not a politician and doesn’t hold rallies. It’s true he has experience as a public speaker, but it is always under the cloak of having access to accurate, privileged, technical information. He is by all accounts a rookie in his new profession and a mostly unknown entity in these circles, so he has a certain insecurity that he tries to dispel as best he can — something he achieves because he is smart.
Musk the minister is perhaps more eccentric and considers himself a great, eminently capable visionary within the current tech sphere. Although the origin of his eccentricity is similar in essence to Trump’s, Musk is much more innovative and was born into a time in which social media, the internet and artificial intelligence practically make up the fabric of society.
Musk shares Trump’s narcissism, but is more obsessive and more rigid; he is also more emotional, although he gives the impression of being moodier and probably more impulsive than the president. Like Trump, however, Musk is the product of American capitalism, and despite being born into a different decade with different history, both drink from the same well.
Just like Trump, Musk is clear that having lots and lots of money is an essential to get where he is today, but he also has ambitious technological projects and manages big data, the internet, social media, the metaverse, etc., a sphere in which Trump lacks experience (despite his own efforts and those of his advisers.)
It is likely that the strong relationship we are witnessing between these two all-out narcissists is nothing more than a Hail Mary that will end in a power struggle to see who is more of a leader. We will soon see what the future has in store for us.
Nevertheless, the image of Musk and Trump in the Oval Office together — a visual expression of their good relationship transcending politics — is certainly eye-catching, at least to the casual onlooker. Musk wears casual clothes, a display of his narcissism and a sign of his measured authority. With such clothing choices and his attitude, he is telling the world, “I am here in my own right,” letting us know that “I am also in control, I am also in charge, which is why my son is here too.” Perhaps it’s a stretch and perhaps too broad of an interpretation, but it is hard not to see this image as a reflection of the present, the past and the future of a powerful dynasty.
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