The peddler is naive
NEW YORK — A photograph of President Donald Trump at the White House proudly displaying his collection of MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) hats to European leaders hastily gathered for peace talks on Ukraine raised, once again, the question of what makes this peculiar man tick. Unlike his campaign posters and official portrait, which show a strongman with a Churchillian expression, this image suggested a different, very American stereotype: the ostentatious businessman who flaunts his wealth and shows pictures of his children to strangers.
Trump's critics often claim that he embodies the worst aspects of American culture: vulgar ostentation, love of violence, smug ignorance, bragging—"the greatest, best, MOST BEAUTIFUL SHOW ON EARTH!!!"
There's some of that. But behind Trump's theatrics lurk darker forces.
The man is not ideological. Despite his prejudices, he is not motivated by strong political convictions. Ideas and beliefs are a way to gain power, and when they are no longer useful, they are discarded. To call Trump a fascist is to imagine a political coherence that simply doesn't exist.
In some ways, the Trump administration resembles a mafia operation. Forcing elite law firms and universities to hand over large sums of money to avoid trouble is typical blackmail. But unlike Trump, most mafia members tend to stay behind the scenes and avoid attention. Their business is exploiting and corrupting existing institutions, not tearing them down.
The American stereotype Trump most resembles is that of the huckster, the peddler, the gaudy-suited promoter who knows how to manipulate and fleece the unsuspecting. As P.T. Barnum, the 19th-century businessman, politician, con man, and founder of the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus, is often credited with saying, "There's a sucker born every minute."
From this perspective, the world is full of gullible losers, willing to be fooled by promises of quick money, instant fame, or a promising future. Nothing scares the charlatan more than being taken for a fool. This is one of the dominant themes of Trump's career: the idea that other countries are taking advantage of the United States, that foreigners are laughing at Americans. He seems to be projecting his own anxieties onto the country.
There is a link between this attitude and the American Dream. That success, fame, and wealth remain out of reach for most Americans doesn't diminish the prospect of achieving them. The promise that anyone can "make it" in America has generated a great deal of positive—and also negative—energy. The related belief that enough money can solve any problem has fueled American optimism, as well as a deep cynicism: everyone has their price.
This spirit doesn't allow for tragedy, much less irony. Fatalism is for the world-weary countries from which people flee in search of fortune in the United States.
Cynicism, on the other hand, and especially the peddlers' conviction that we are all driven by material greed, has a counterpart: a dangerous naiveté. Some people are unswayed by the promises of wealth and fame. It is possible to resist these temptations for the best moral reasons, but also for the worst. After all, those who commit evil often act out of deep conviction, driven by religious or political fervor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been flattered by Trump's praise at the Alaska summit, from the red carpet and the ride in the presidential limousine to the warm smiles and promises of a "grand bargain." But it's almost certain that none of it resonated deeply with a man whose wealth dwarfs Trump's, and whose goal of recreating imperial Russia cannot be achieved through concessions.
Unlike Trump, Putin is very aware of history. He wants to be a great Russian leader, following in the footsteps of Joseph Stalin and Peter the Great. Putin's idea of restoring Russian greatness is not just a slogan on a baseball cap, but a real plan to expand his territory and increase his influence, regardless of how many lives are lost.
Trump's mistake is assuming he and Putin are kindred spirits, even friends. He fails to realize that Putin is not a huckster. At the follow-up meeting with European leaders at the White House, an open microphone captured Trump whispering to French President Emmanuel Macron that Putin "wants to make a deal for me. Do you realize that? As crazy as that sounds." This showed that Trump is a true sucker. He's a charlatan who believes his own lies, like the man who gloats over his MAGA hats. That makes him a sucker, and Putin, aware of this, has been deceiving him.
The author
Ian Buruma is the author of numerous books, including Year Zero: A History of 1945, The Collaborators: Three Stories of Deception and Survival in World War II, and, most recently, Spinoza: The Messiah of Freedom (Yale University Press, 2024).
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