There’s a lot of gloating today directed at Trump as a specifically infuriating individual. I think we should keep in mind that Trump is partly the American incarnation of the world-spirit of his time, just as Reagan and Thatcher incarnated theirs. /1

Trump incarnated the spirit of 2016 in two related but distinct ways: as a corrupt oligarch, and as a lying nationalist-authoritarian populist. /2

Trump’s oligarchic practices were partly similar to those of figures like Berlusconi or Andre Babis. He retained ownership of his corporations and directed public money into his pocket, eg by ordering govt personnel stay in his hotels. /3

But in a fashion reminiscent of scarier leaders like Putin and Orban, he also directed govt contracts to friendly businesses and used threats of regulatory action to attack independent ones, trying to build a support structure of loyal oligopolies. /4

And like Erdogan and others, he gave govt portfolios to his children (-in-law) who also continued to own or run businesses that could profit from the connection. And yet.../5

Trump doesn’t seem to have been very good at making money out of government. Other leaders have reaped billions in smaller economies. Trump seems to have been worrying about much smaller sums. /6

In any case, he never seems to have built the kind of state protection racket in exchange for business loyalty that undergirds Putinism, though you could see him trying. /7

Anyway: the second side of Trumpism was the lying authoritarian nationalism. This was the 21st-century skill set where Trump truly shone. /8

Like Boris Johnson, he possesses an amazing talent for profiting from the spewing of utter nonsense. And like Putin and Orban, he understands that destroying the landscape of truth frees you to do anything. /9

Trump has been as good at anyone in the world—Bolsonaro, Duterte, you name it—at empty, hateful, truth-free jingoistic populism. And.../10

Skewing this hateful populist bike very nearly won Trump a second term. /11

That’s the main point: Trump’s politics haven’t been crippled,
not at all. His is still one of the spirits of our age. It will be back very soon with a new lead. 12/12