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It's both amusing and terrifying to rewatch episodes of Trump's "The Apprentice" and see how that TV persona has shaped his presidencies. Remember how contestants were evaluated on communication, team building, and results, culminating in his trademark "You're fired!"? The irony is palpable when we look at his own performance in these areas.
Communication? Trump has evolved from Twitter tantrums to Truth Social tirades. His thin skin hasn't thickened – every perceived slight still triggers a cascade of ALL-CAPS posts. His press conferences remain exercises in alternative reality, with each appearance more disconnected from facts than the last. Where once we had KellyAnne Conway and Sean Spicer twisting themselves into pretzels to defend him, now a rotating cast of spokespersons attempts to explain away his latest indictments, election interference claims, and increasingly erratic behavior.
Team building? His first term was a revolving door of resignations and firings. Now, after Biden's interlude, he's struggling to build a team for his second term. Many experienced Republicans are quietly declining positions, wary of associating with his brand of chaos. His promise to pursue "retribution" against political enemies has made recruitment even harder. The party that once grumbled about his leadership now faces a choice between complete submission or political exile.
And results? His first term gave us chaos, COVID mismanagement, and an insurrection. His campaign promises then – like now – were grand but hollow. The wall? Partially built and crumbling. Healthcare? No replacement for Obamacare materialized. Infrastructure? Biden actually delivered on that one, though Trump claims credit. His job creation announcements were often recycled news about previously planned investments, just as they are now.
His current promises sound eerily familiar: another wall, more deportations, trade wars 2.0. He still doesn't grasp that presidential powers have limits – though he's made it clear he plans to test those limits further. His understanding of global technology and trade remains stuck in the 1980s, even as AI reshapes the economy and geopolitical alliances shift.
The tragic comedy continues with his base still believing in the reality show version of governance. They cheer for the spectacle while actual governance crumbles. Polls show his supporters still can't distinguish between political theater and real policy achievements – much like those who once couldn't tell the difference between the Affordable Care Act and Obamacare.
After four years of Biden attempting to restore normalcy, we're back to the reality show presidency. But this time, the stakes are even higher, and the script is darker. If America were still "The Apprentice," the host himself would have been fired long ago for incompetence. Instead, he's somehow gotten a second season.
YOU'RE REHIRED? (Heaven help us all.)
(big thanks to all the great cartoon artists in this article: Signe Wilkinson, David Horsey, Mike Thompson and Steven Camley)
154 During US elections the now "normal" personal attacks on politicians showed a growing interest in Trump's hand size. He is now called "Tiny Trump" and comedians and comic artists don't hesitate to emphasize that characteristic. Personally I believe his talent to denigrate, belittle everyone who disagrees with him "Little Donald" is a better name as a symbol for his childish behavior for example every day on twitter.
Meanwhile Europe election season has started.
The new German President Steinmeier was elected in 2017 on February 12th with a vast majority (73.89%). In 2022 he was re-eleced with even a higher number, 78%. Populist Glaser form AfD was iniatlly completely wiped away (3.33%) but now in 2025 AfD is a party that can;t be ignored anymore. Although the election of the new president is a task of the German parliament, it might be an upbeat for the next general elections in October 2017. Far right wing lead and Frauke Petry of the German AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) immediately blowed her music on twitter: "#Bundespräsident sollte direkt gewählt werden!" (President should be elected directly!) but according to all right wing parties (when they lose), democracy should be changed (until they've won, then their power is "absolute" and the rest is "fake news").
In the Netherlands political parties fired up their engines in the last weeks as a prelude for parliament election day, March 15th. Dutch populist Wilders attracted quite a lot attention from the international press at his kickoff meeting. He was anxious to shout into the microphones that he was not a copy of Trump and proved that with repeating frightening and hollow key messages: "Going to be historical elections!" - "Netherlands for the Dutch (3 times in one 'coheren' sentence)". Furthermore in the election program you can read: "Ban the Islam" - "Power to the people"- "Stop spending on development aid, innovation, art, windmills, broadcasting, etc." (etc. ??? WTF! What etc.?) - "Reform tax" - "Invest in military and police" and a few more. I guess the press laughed their butts off. A Trumpette "avant la lettre". In 2024 they didn't anymore. Wilders was the king of the elections and today we're stuck with a government lead by Wilders' party.
Bulgarian parliament election was put forward from 2018 to March 26th of 2017 due to the resignation of pro-european prime minister Borisov because his party colleague Tsetska Tsacheva lost the presidential race at the end of 2016 from pro-russian former air force commander and socialist Rumen Radev. Of course far left is different from far right but obviously in this case their messages are quite similar: "Stop the corruption" - "Be nice to both Russia and the EU" are more specific but "Power to the people (with a possible change to majority voting as a result of the latest referendum)" and "Less immigrants" are more common among Trumpettes. Most likely outcome is another lengthy coalition negotiation with some drama but maybe times have changed.
The first round of the 2017 French presidential election will be held on 23 April 2017. Already "US-style" personal attacking is obviously more important than vision, messages and capabilities. When a candidate like Fillon with all his experience is getting acceptable for a lot of French people, immediately his opponents like Le Pen dug deep into his past and came up with "Penelope-gate", a story where Fillon obviously paid his wife a significant salary for "assistance work". A typical "Trumpette" trick. Of course integrity is a very valuable political asset. It's just another example that voters are constantly getting distracted and at the end of the day can do nothing more that vote with gut feelings looking at a face they like most. It's like voting from teenage girls for the most prettiest face in a new boy band.
And there is Brexit. Already an "inquiry referendum" is taken as an "indisputable vote" and PM Theresa May is just following the atmosphere set by experienced Trumpettes Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage during their campaign last year. Bragging and humiliation was their trademark. British parliament recently voted with a surprising majority for an asap invocation of EU's article 50. Obviously all parliament members forgot that the people's vote was just a thin majority with Labor as an opponent and Scotland and Northern Ireland heavily resisting. Parliament members probably believe that conservative England still "rules" and the rest should keep quiet. Tony Blair, obviously waken up by the sudden withdrawal of Labor, emerged with a good story but was tackled immediately with personal attacks like it is common these Trump-days.
Populists like Wilders (Netherlands), Le Pen (France), Petry (Germany) and Farage (England) do nothing more than as true Trumpettes "retweet" Trump over and over again by selling fear from the outside world and protectionism as the answer. Actually I am glad that the American election came first and, at the expense of the American people, Trump was elected to set an example of the consequences: chaos, no plans, no backup, war with the press and democracy itself and at the end of the day probably torches and pitchforks. Maybe not in the streets but in the House and Senates. Already election polls have changed significantly in the last 2 weeks as a result of the American chaos. After the initial excitement around the "guys on the barricades", people start to wonder if they want to live in a burned down world. None of the Trumpettes have shown that besides a lot of rethoric they had a real plan, a real organization behind them, realistic solutions for problems and a real story a majority could live with for many years.
So "Little Donald and his Trumpettes" perhaps scored a #1 hit but after the desastreous example in the US in the first four years of Trump, hopefully their fans would recognize it's all fake and plagiate. Obvioulsy not !!! Biden had his chance but blew it and now the US and the rest of the world will suffer for another 4 years of Trump. Real music comes from real artists who know what they are doing and bring lasting songs that people will sing during their lives until they die. However populists like Trump, Wilders and Le Pen are more like cover-bands. Not talented enough to write their own music so they just copy popular tunes from which they know people will sing them along.
Sad :(.
Vote with your brain and party with your heart afterwards :))) To be continued . . .
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