this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2025
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politics

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[–] toast@retrolemmy.com 18 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Trump has been successful as a politician only because he is so needy, so thirsty for affection that during his campaigns he contorted his views to whatever his crowds gave the most applause to. That's why he did so well -- he could read the room, and the room was the American public. But now he isn't doing big rallies, and his audience has shrunken down to his advisors, his patsies, and whatever comes filtered through Fox News. Of course he is losing his wider audience. Their hopes, goals, wants were never really his. He was just chasing the adoration. Now he's disconnected and being used by whatever right wing "thinker" gets his attention.

Well, that and the grift. There's always the grift.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Trump was successful because a bunch of wealthy people wanted it. Everything else, all this hand wringing and second guessing about his pull is secondary to this reality.

[–] sundray@lemmus.org 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

It started as only a few (chiefly the Murdochs via constant free publicity via Fox News, though they disliked him personally). Rank and file Republicans, and lots of formerly disengaged people just kept voting for him, and consequently he kept winning primaries. Even the Koch brothers kept staking challengers against Trump (notably and most recently Desantis). Over time, cowardly billionaires joined the bandwagon -- they're firmly in his pocket now, but it's worth remembering that's not how he started.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

You are probably missing a lot of pieces of this puzzle as I was and still am. It is hard though, to wade through all the useless propaganda honestly.

It is 2002, Trump as we knew him was dead. A failed businessman surrounded by his crumbling empire. Only his massive past wealth keeping him floating in a sea of debt.

The producers of the Apprentice were looking for a candidate for their new show. Trump's was one of the people being considered for the position.

When they first approached him the staffers commented on how run down his office was. The carpet was rotting, the light fixtures missing bulbs. The place was a disaster. It literally stunk.

Trump himself was not much better. They spent a ton of money renovating his office area to make it bearable to film in.

They remade the man as well. They created a new persona, an acting role for the one-trick pony of a man. This became the foundation for his come back and why we have the Trump we do today.

He really is a story of why wealth is morally wrong. The worst person doing the worst things his whole life and only falling upwards because of privilege and money. Truly a representation of all that is wrong in the US.

[–] quetzaldilla@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

My take:

Trump is the average Fox News viewer given power.

Emotionally Immature, intellectually lazy, lacking introspection-- Fox News is the honey pot they turn to for opinions because that is easier for them than going to therapy.

Trump is not only a Fox News viewer, he IS what is being viewed 24/7 on Fox News.

It's a narcissist's wet dream!

Not just that, but he is the mirror where all these viewers can gaze upon their morally depraved selves adoringly.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I am sure that is a big part of how they sell him. I have seen numerous interviews from Trump supporters that think they have some personal connection with the man.

This is secondary to giving him attention though. It was the media that not only breathed life back into the husk he was, but then kept the abomination of the soulless zombie businessman alive with constant support. It is not a coincidence or just media not being able to help themselves.

It was a coordinated effort that took an enormous amount of social currency to pull off. This was coordinated by a network of wealthy people who literally willed this to happen. These people are the real story. This is what we are really facing.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

He really is a story of why wealth is morally wrong. The worst person doing the worst things his whole life and only falling upwards because of privilege and money

I take this as the short attention span of us voters or maybe how gullible and manipulate we are. How does some insipid reality show make you change your mind about a person’s character, ignore a long history of being the worst of humanity and a failed business man. How could you forget the brouhaha about gold plated toilets, narcissistic behavior, reneging on contracts, refusing to pay vendors, and BANKRUPTING CASINOS? And even if you forgot all that went before, how exactly did that show define him as a good businessman, good at deals? They said he was but his behavior didn’t reflect that. Similar to now: he can make all the claims he wants but how do people believe it when there’s no actual reality?

One of the many reasons I never took his candidacy seriously is how could anyone forget all that history? How does you blindly accept claims from reality TV?

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Far too many people don't realize just how fake "reality TV" is. Also, many people were not really told much about Taco before his stint as game show host. The right complained that Obama was not "vetted" by the media and say nothing about how Taco was actually not really vetted.

I didn't watch the show because I don't like reality TV and I've disliked Taco since the 80s, but I remember Ivanka's comments in the Born Rich documentary in which she quotes her dad as saying a homeless man had more money than he did at the time (because he was so deep in debt).

https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=n9Rf5mS6Qhg

[–] quetzaldilla@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Very well put.

You described his methodology very eloquently.

[–] griff@lemmings.world 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

To capture the current drift of public opinion, Trump is near the disapproval levels Biden was at on the eve of his catastrophic debate performance in June 2024. That was after three and a half years. Trump is at six months.

It’s one of my governing beliefs that you can’t transform a state like the American republic from a civic democracy to an autocracy or competitive authoritarianism if a substantial majority of the population opposes it. And there’s no question that substantial opposition is what we’re seeing.

What’s clear is that Trump has no intention of tamping down the politics of provocation and aggression toward domestic enemies. It’s against both his political goals and his temperament. It’s just as clear that these policies are driving ever greater levels not only of opposition but intense opposition.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

Can we fire at the enemy ship, yet?