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Trump biographer: "He's an actor who's been playing himself for his entire life."
From Vox this morning:
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/25/14357474/donald-trump-2016-election-barack-obama-dantonio-mark-media
One such biographer is Michael D’Antonio, a former journalist for Newsday and the author of The Truth About Trump. D’Antonio’s biography is admirably even-handed and based on several hours of exclusive interviews with Trump. The book doesn’t dive excessively into Trump’s business and financial dealings; instead, D’Antonio combs through his personal life looking for insights into the man behind the brand.
I sat down with D’Antonio on Monday to talk about what he learned about Trump. I asked him what he thinks drives Trump’s behavior and what kind of president we can expect him to be. His answers were ... illuminating.
-snip-
Sean Illing
You’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking and writing about Donald Trump. Who is he?
Mark D’Antonio
Oh boy, that's an interesting question. He's an actor who's been playing himself for his entire life, in much the same way John Wayne played himself in every role. And it's worked so well for him, playing this role of a leader and businessman, that he transitioned seamlessly into his new role as an outspoken candidate and a risk-taker. Enough people bought the act, and he managed to get elected.
-snip-
I think he's trying to be someone like he imagines Gen. Patton was. When he talks about these World War II generals portrayed in the movies, he's explaining something about himself and what he admires. He really does identify with that kind of aggression, that kind of authority. His role models were his father, the officer in charge of his group of students when he was student at a military academy, and Roy Cohn. All of these people were aggressive bullies who used strength as a tool and a measure of their own worth, and who believed anything is justified in pursuit of your ambitions.
-snip-
He's never been a chief executive who was involved in the day-to-day operation of a complex, employee-heavy enterprise. The few times that he's done this, he's failed — his management of the casinos and the airline are good examples of this. He wasn't able to make these things long-term successes.
His preference is for dealmaking, for the bright shiny object in the moment. That suggests to me that government will be in the hands of the people he's appointed. But how that works out remains to be seen, because at some point a president has to be engaged in the question of how well we're doing.
-snip-
I think the dynamic of humiliation and shame is very powerful and primal, and he deals in primitive methods. I also think that he's irritated and even enraged by those who check facts and look for evidence to confirm or disprove his claims. He thinks he should just be able to say things, and that those things should be reported and considered uncritically. So he resents it when people fail to do that and instead hold him to some standard, and he takes it personally.
In some ways, it is truly humiliating to be called out as a serial exaggerator and liar and deceiver. So he may actually experience pain associated with that, but he moves so quickly to rage that he never changes. It's not as if being called out instructs him in any way. He almost never becomes more sober or more careful.
-snip-
When he brags about how he could stand on Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and get away with it, he really means it, and he really thinks this is a great thing. A kid who doesn't have to behave in class has a tremendous amount of power, and it's thrilling to be that person to whom the rules don't apply.
And this is who Trump has been his entire life.
Sean Illing
You paint a picture of a man who is half Paris Hilton, half Caligula.
Mark D’Antonio
Ha! You know, I've been thinking a lot of the end of the Roman Empire lately, and that's not entirely off the mark.
-snip-
I sat down with D’Antonio on Monday to talk about what he learned about Trump. I asked him what he thinks drives Trump’s behavior and what kind of president we can expect him to be. His answers were ... illuminating.
-snip-
Sean Illing
You’ve spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking and writing about Donald Trump. Who is he?
Mark D’Antonio
Oh boy, that's an interesting question. He's an actor who's been playing himself for his entire life, in much the same way John Wayne played himself in every role. And it's worked so well for him, playing this role of a leader and businessman, that he transitioned seamlessly into his new role as an outspoken candidate and a risk-taker. Enough people bought the act, and he managed to get elected.
-snip-
I think he's trying to be someone like he imagines Gen. Patton was. When he talks about these World War II generals portrayed in the movies, he's explaining something about himself and what he admires. He really does identify with that kind of aggression, that kind of authority. His role models were his father, the officer in charge of his group of students when he was student at a military academy, and Roy Cohn. All of these people were aggressive bullies who used strength as a tool and a measure of their own worth, and who believed anything is justified in pursuit of your ambitions.
-snip-
He's never been a chief executive who was involved in the day-to-day operation of a complex, employee-heavy enterprise. The few times that he's done this, he's failed — his management of the casinos and the airline are good examples of this. He wasn't able to make these things long-term successes.
His preference is for dealmaking, for the bright shiny object in the moment. That suggests to me that government will be in the hands of the people he's appointed. But how that works out remains to be seen, because at some point a president has to be engaged in the question of how well we're doing.
-snip-
I think the dynamic of humiliation and shame is very powerful and primal, and he deals in primitive methods. I also think that he's irritated and even enraged by those who check facts and look for evidence to confirm or disprove his claims. He thinks he should just be able to say things, and that those things should be reported and considered uncritically. So he resents it when people fail to do that and instead hold him to some standard, and he takes it personally.
In some ways, it is truly humiliating to be called out as a serial exaggerator and liar and deceiver. So he may actually experience pain associated with that, but he moves so quickly to rage that he never changes. It's not as if being called out instructs him in any way. He almost never becomes more sober or more careful.
-snip-
When he brags about how he could stand on Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and get away with it, he really means it, and he really thinks this is a great thing. A kid who doesn't have to behave in class has a tremendous amount of power, and it's thrilling to be that person to whom the rules don't apply.
And this is who Trump has been his entire life.
Sean Illing
You paint a picture of a man who is half Paris Hilton, half Caligula.
Mark D’Antonio
Ha! You know, I've been thinking a lot of the end of the Roman Empire lately, and that's not entirely off the mark.
-snip-
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