Impostor

He likes the idea of king, or some sort of monarchical, authoritarian ruler, but it’s not his idea. Trump is not that skilled at things he or those around him say he’s skilled at. He just likes to run his mouth, instigate, latch onto, talk big. He has no skills to do much else.

No doubt, he has a nose for something—how else could he stick around for so long—but since when is overstaying one’s welcome an admirable trait?

He’s twice been elected to the highest office in the land, and each time we’ve had to hold our breath and our nose as the inner circle of “idea” people prop him up, feed him the poison they want him to regurgitate, all the while making inroads on weakening institutions and lulling people to sleep with empty promises. When he’s left to his own devices, his own words, he’s woefully, embarrassingly bereft of inspiration or wisdom or good decisions. He easily gets off on inane tangents during speeches, because in his mind he feels like he has a swooning audience of admirers who are hanging on his every word.

Trump is reactive, immature, affectively challenged, and overmatched by just about every other world leader, yet he wields power merely because of the office he holds. It’s difficult to imagine that many other leaders respect him. It’s more likely they view him as a loose cannon, a dangerous fool. Or maybe just an impotent figurehead.