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The problem with Donald Trump....

(256 Posts)
HousePlantQueen Mon 24-Feb-25 15:04:18

This was written during Trump's previous period as POTUS, and I think it sums up, eloquently, just what it is that Brits ( and presumably other nationalities) dislike about him. It is worth a read.
Nate White
“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response:
A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:

• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.

• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created?' If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.
#Donald Trump

ronib Mon 24-Feb-25 18:16:34

In case you didn’t know, Starmer’s deeply unpopular and shows no signs of being ousted.
Trump is in power and he will stay put.

Cossy Mon 24-Feb-25 18:18:27

Whitewavemark2

Everyone is different I suppose. Unless I have always missed Trump being funny, I find him entirely unpleasant at all times.

Me too! I’ve found nothing he’s said or done remotely humorous.

I agree 100% with this (long) quote and thank you HPQ for posting.

My most chilling memory of him was when he parodied a disabled reporter.

Babs03 Mon 24-Feb-25 18:21:28

ronib

Whatever the personal shortcomings of the new President, Trump was elected so their country, their choice. I hope it works out for them.

But it already isn’t ronib, countless people are losing their jobs, and the loss of said jobs are already affecting the health and safety of ordinary people. Most notably with so many air traffic controllers being laid off, already there have been more air traffic incidents than in the past few years, and that is in just a month.
He is gifting Musk access to people’s personal data, a judge has since over ruled this but I imagine Trump will find a way to get rid of said judge and then Musk can do as he pleases.
And the cost of living has gone up due to tariffs causing grudge wars with countries affected.

Cossy Mon 24-Feb-25 18:23:41

fancythat

When I say Country, in 2nd paragraph, I was meaning the USA.

Mmmm which part of his fine country does he care about??

In the short time he’s been in power he’s been responsible for so many negative things, including several thousand people being sacked from their jobs for no reason at all and many more will follow.

The sanctions he has imposed on other countries trade will simply be repaid in kind and his sucking up to Russia, Israel and Korea’s leaders is sure to backfire.

Cossy Mon 24-Feb-25 18:24:33

ronib

In case you didn’t know, Starmer’s deeply unpopular and shows no signs of being ousted.
Trump is in power and he will stay put.

I think to compare Starmer (or any Brit PM) is insulting yet hilarious.

ronib Mon 24-Feb-25 18:31:04

Well Cossy didn’t mean to insult the President but yes we have had some rare specimens in the Uk over the last 14 years!

Marthjolly1 Mon 24-Feb-25 18:47:36

HPQ. Excellent post. Very well put across. It's the truth in it which makes it actually quite scary.

petra Mon 24-Feb-25 18:54:14

fancythat

I agree with most of what is in the op.

But..I think what he does have[or to me and perhaps some others] is that he may care about the Country.
I couldnt say he cares about every individual[pretty sure he doesnt].

I feel personally, in say the last 10 years, I would struggle to say any Uk Leader cared about the Uk. Not really.

The only thing Donald Trump cares about is Donald Trump.
He’s not capable of caring for anyone or anything other than himself.

Wyllow3 Mon 24-Feb-25 18:58:11

He thinks he is the country, ie God's embodiment of it in his own person.

imaround Mon 24-Feb-25 19:42:37

Apparently, someone also changed the address to Maralago in Mapquest to the Kremlins address.

Suspicion is on Anonymous (the hacking group).

grin

Babs03 Mon 24-Feb-25 19:43:00

Wyllow3

He thinks he is the country, ie God's embodiment of it in his own person.

Henry the 8th thought that. Indeed can see some very unpleasant parallels. Perhaps this is why Trump likes to be called King.

Babs03 Mon 24-Feb-25 19:46:39

I think one of some misguided people's downfall was in imagining that Trump was just talking crazy but in actual fact was using the crazy as a smoke screen to actually do something constructive. But there was no smokescreen. And nothing constructive. Just the crazy.

Babs03 Mon 24-Feb-25 19:50:42

Correction -....imagining that Trump was not just talking crazy

imaround Mon 24-Feb-25 19:52:05

On a more serious note, for those who think that the 200,000+ people illegally fired can just run out and get a new job, they will be fine!

finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-looking-for-work-havent-had-it-this-hard-in-almost-3-years-161058556.html

imaround Mon 24-Feb-25 19:54:00

I have heard so many MAGA say, he doesn't mean what he says. He is doing it for shock and awe.

They are in the find out phase of the FAFO phenomenon.

(That acronym has a naughty word in it, so I won't post it)

Babs03 Mon 24-Feb-25 20:00:21

I do worry about the unemployed due to these mass firings, we suffered unemployment back in the early 1980s when it was really hard to find a job, what people don't factor in is the toll this takes on whole families, especially the children, the home respossessions, and in the US I imagine the inability to afford healthy care or to save for a college fund. But more than all this it is the effect it has on a person's mental well being, with mental health issues and suicides rocketing.
Unemployment figures are not just stats. They are whole families.

keepingquiet Mon 24-Feb-25 20:02:13

I don't believe Trump is mentally ill. He seems to function pretty well in front of the camera at least.

He does however, seem to have every personality disorder going...

Really enjoyed reading the character assassination, as someone else said, the shocking thing is it's all true!

Syracute Mon 24-Feb-25 20:10:09

Galaxy

So I think one of the reasons trump wins (only one of the reasons) is that he is funny. You dont need to tell me all the terrible unfunny things he has said, but yes at times he is funny. It is useful to know the 'skills' of your enemy.

If funny, it is in a very childless way which appeals to certain people who have a very low bar of humor .

glasshalffullagain Mon 24-Feb-25 20:12:51

Tell me a Trump joke...... I can scarcely contain myself.

HousePlantQueen Mon 24-Feb-25 20:15:27

imaround

On a more serious note, for those who think that the 200,000+ people illegally fired can just run out and get a new job, they will be fine!

finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-looking-for-work-havent-had-it-this-hard-in-almost-3-years-161058556.html

Surely not? Just a few days ago, some here on GN were assuring us that being made redundant can be the best thing to happen to people, that it can lead to wonderful opportunities. Yeah right

Syracute Mon 24-Feb-25 20:17:46

Well today was a very new low with the US voting today with Russia and North Korea who voted against condemning Russia in the war in Ukraine . I am very embarrassed to be a US citizen today . Disgusted !

HUD , a US government housing agency , found themselves looking at a very real looking AI of Trump kissing Elons naked toes in their cafeteria today . Superimposed with the words the real king 🤣 Bravo !

Whitewavemark2 Mon 24-Feb-25 20:20:32

The world is shifting under us!

Whoever in their wildest dreams ever thought that the USA would side with Russia, North Korea and other similar governments.

Babs03 Mon 24-Feb-25 20:32:48

Well Trump promised us a new world order……correction disorder.

imaround Mon 24-Feb-25 20:38:04

I feel physically ill.

Churchview Mon 24-Feb-25 20:45:50

Donald Trump's "jokes"-

"Tradition holds that I'm supposed to tell a few self-deprecating jokes this evening, so here it goes ... nope, I've got nothing.

"I used to think that Democrats were crazy for saying that men have periods. But then I met Tim Walz"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Iu_ODB9UI