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Donald Trump is running the country as a corporation, but this will lead to rather unpleasant consequences, columnist Andrey Kuzichkin writes.
I didn't like Donald Trump from the first moment I saw him on TV in 2005. He struck me as an arrogant, overblown turkey, a pompous and extremely arrogant man with a hypertrophied ego and excessively high self-esteem. Over the years, my antipathy towards Trump deepened each time he appeared on the screen. In my eyes, he had acquired a lasting reputation as a brute with boorish manners.
During the 2016 election campaign, I followed Trump and was convinced for a long time that Americans would never vote for such a verbose and truculent candidate. However, a month before the election day, I started to worry – I had a feeling that Trump had a chance to win. But local experts on America unanimously assured me that Hillary Clinton already had victory in the bag. Like many others, I was therefore shocked when I woke up on the morning of November 9, 2016, to a world where Donald Trump had become the president of the United States. Everything he subsequently did in office filled me with protest and indignation, and I greeted Trump's defeat in the 2020 election with deep satisfaction.
But that did not prevent me from predicting, in December 2023, Trump's victory in the next election. I was looking forward to this victory with horror. And that's what happened. In December 2024, I wrote in an article for Postimees about my forecast for 2025: "Trump, who has once again penetrated world history like a hurricane, is clearly possessed by a thirst for revenge... It is possible that Trump will take revenge on Mexico, Canada, China and the EU for not wanting his victory. There is probably not much room for Ukraine on the agenda of the Trump administration. Therefore, there's nothing good in store for Ukraine, NATO or Europe."
My worst assumptions were confirmed. And the scandal that took place in the Oval Office on Friday, February 28, became a catastrophe for global politics. After that, I posted dozens of cartoons about Trump and his administration on my Facebook page, published many anecdotes and criticisms of Trump. In Estonia, almost all leading parties, politicians, and experts condemned Trump and his administration for both the ugly show in the White House and the harassment of President Zelenskyy. I absolutely support this opinion. But today I want to speak in defense of Donald Trump.
Trump and the state as a corporation
Yes, I agree that Trump's position on Ukraine is terribly unfair and his attitude towards Russia and Putin is unacceptably favorable. But we can't expect anything else from Donald Trump. I fully agree with my friend Raul Rebane, who wrote that Trump runs the White House as a private company. However, the government is more than a corporation. I would like to expand on this idea. It seems to me that this indeed is the secret of Donald Trump's policy: he is trying to run the United States as a giant corporation, using management principles, tools and techniques that work effectively in business.
Dozens of experts have studied the topic of "The State and the Corporation" in their works. However, as a rule, they have analyzed it from a Marxist perspective. Surprisingly, it is a fact that Donald Trump, a real "business czar," behaves in his reasoning and realpolitik like a neo-Marxist. Although neo-Marxism sees the capitalist state as the main enemy of society. The illusion of the complete equivalence of the government and a corporation tempts Trump to replace laws with the principles of efficiency and profitability – the primary metrics of business success. As a result, the concept of a "deal" has become Trump's fetish and guiding star. And no one has yet dared to explain to Trump that, despite many similarities, these systems have enormous differences. The most fundamental of these is that a corporation pays taxes, whereas the government collects them. Taxes are the barricades that separate power from business. Their approach to people also differs. Reducing the number of employees in a company means cost optimization and conditions for growth. For a country, however, a declining population is a demographic catastrophe and a sign of degradation.
If we apply the dichotomy of the "state as a corporation" to Trump's thinking, we get a picture of the world that seems to many an absurd painting, but is understandable and logical to Trump.
Nevertheless, if we apply the dichotomy of the "state as a corporation" to Trump's thinking, we get a picture of the world that seems to many an absurd painting, but is understandable and logical to Trump. Democracy, freedom, human rights and other social values are secondary to business. What matters is profit. For the United States, as a state-corporation, Ukraine is a small business with limited resources, living off debt and asking for new loans. We will lend, Trump says, but with resources as collateral. And before that, pay your existing debt. In addition, Ukraine is under attack from another powerful corporation – Russia, with its excellent resources and huge assets. So it is more profitable to do business with it than with Ukraine, where the business risks do not justify the investment even in the long term. In this scheme, Ukraine has no chance of having America's defense – there's no profit in it.
Likewise, it is unprofitable for the US to protect Taiwan from China. It is better to agree with Beijing on the division of markets. But it would be good to swallow Canada and Greenland and increase the capitalization of the United States with their resources. And Europe is a competitor. If you want a good life, put your assets under the control of the United States, and you will be happy. Trump considers himself the chairman of the board of directors of the United States, where people are an appendage of business. However, it is the role of the state to motivate companies to work for the benefit of society as a whole. Therefore, in all of this Trump is a victim of his own false beliefs. And there is no one willing to dispel them.
Trump and his demons
Very often, Donald Trump, with his extravagant and unpredictable behavior, resembles a person possessed by demons. I believe this to be true. And one of those demons is old age. In June, the US president will turn 79. At this age, hormone levels have drastically decreased, leading to insomnia, anxiety disorders, rapid fatigue, and weakened empathy. Reaction times slow down, and sexual drive diminishes, causing irritability and nervous exhaustion. Even if a person has accumulated knowledge and experience throughout their life, at 79, their mind resembles a vast warehouse – filled with many things, yet finding the right ones increasingly becomes a challenge. So, on a human level, Donald Trump can be understood. And the fact that he does not remember calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator is entirely explainable. Another thing is that there are many other demons around the American president.
If we accept that Donald Trump does not belong to himself, that he is weak at self-management and under the control of other people, the situation of world politics looks hopeless.
I don't know how many of them are hiding in the shadows, but Vice President J.D. Vance and Elon Musk are in the spotlight, not hiding their essence. It seems that these people in Trump's entourage are simply exploiting their patron's weaknesses for personal gain. It seems that it is Vance, as an evil genius, who is whispering in Trump's ear all kinds of bad advice to compromise him. If Trump resigns, the presidency will be vacant, and Vance, with his scandal-tainted reputation, would not get it any other way. And Elon Musk, who has invested 75 million dollars in Trump's election campaign, clearly expects to get it back and make a profit. And he may succeed. Musk's companies already have lucrative contracts with the government (SpaceX, for example), and the money collected in public administration can be channeled into his various projects, including the creation of cryptocurrency reserves.
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If we accept that Donald Trump does not belong to himself, that he is weak at self-management and under the control of other people, the situation of world politics looks hopeless. However, the effectiveness of a system is determined by how it responds to challenges. I think that Europe needs to accept Trump as a test of strength, to suffer, to heal and to grow stronger. After all, the fate of the world is at stake.
How to stop being afraid and start loving Trump
I am sure that when Volodymyr Zelenskyy crossed the threshold of the Oval Office, he fell into a trap masterfully set by Vance and other individuals unknown to us. It was clear in advance that Trump does not need Ukraine, but Zelenskyy's capitulation as a symbol of triumph. And the empty agreement on resources was supposed to visualize Trump's promise to establish peace in Ukraine. No one could have predicted that the cornered Zelenskyy would bare his teeth, then go on the offensive, and leave as a hero. And Trump would experience a humiliating defeat. But the blame for this lies entirely and completely on Vance. Could things have gone differently? No. However, Zelenskyy could have avoided burning bridges and kept the White House door open for himself. Zelenskyy's team simply did not prepare him well for the meeting with Trump. It would have been necessary to take into account that Trump is a man who is "addicted" to television. For him, images and retorts matter more than the actual meaning of what is happening. Everyone knew very well that Zelenskyy's clothing was a powerful irritant for Trump and his entourage. Hence, let's make an unexpected move and let Zelenskyy come either in a mourning suit or a suit in the style of a military uniform. And certainly with a badge that symbolizes the friendship between Ukraine and the United States.
Offending Trump is not advisable, since at his age and in his situation, people take offense easily, and they hold grudges for a long time.
And there was no need to show Trump photos of captured defenders of Ukraine – he barely glanced at them. He is not interested in that – I already mentioned diminished empathy. But photos of American military equipment delivered to Ukraine and Ukrainian magazines filled with articles praising Trump would have been highly relevant. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, like Trump, is a man of television. The key was to find a common wave and ride it together. But no one attempted to find that wave. Zelenskyy's acting skills were useful for playing the role of a hero and not becoming a victim of conspiracy, but he offended Trump. Now, however, one thing is clear to everyone: offending Trump is not advisable, since at his age and in his situation, people take offense easily, and they hold grudges for a long time.
What can Europe do to avoid accelerating the end of history by destroying Atlantic solidarity to Putin's delight? Probably, Donald Trump needs to be left in peace. Europe needs to stop reacting nervously and excitedly to his every remark and executive order. It is necessary to stop the toxic, albeit often fair and justified, criticism directed at him. Fewer offensive cartoons of Trump's person. However, Musk needs to be re-educated. And it's easier to do that because his business empire is large, which means it has many vulnerable points. In addition, Trump tends to change his team. During his first term, he had four secretaries of state and six secretaries of defense.
Likewise, J. D. Vance and Putin's alliance with Trump must become a target of constant information attacks. Trump needs to be periodically reminded through various channels how Russian propagandists and officials have degraded and defiled his name. Every attempt to bring Washington closer to Moscow should be exaggerated and presented as a betrayal of America's national interests. Trump must be warned that the free world, which he believes he leads, could collapse under Moscow's pressure, leaving the king without his kingdom. It is clear that vertical interaction between Brussels and Washington does not work well. This means that Europeans must strengthen horizontal ties with their colleagues in the United States, bypassing the White House, where toxic figures reign behind Trump's back.
Trump is now building a foreign policy based on the Monroe doctrine, but in an edited version. In 1823, the fifth US president, James Monroe, proclaimed the principle of "America for Americans," calling on Europe not to interfere in each other's affairs. Trump offers Europe not to interfere in the affairs of the United States, but reserves the right to interfere in European affairs. It is therefore necessary for European leaders to explain to Trump, in plain language, that a merger of the two corporations – America and Europe – will guarantee super profits and a conclusive victory over the competitors – China and Russia.
And Ukraine is a good tool to fight competitors. Every company has a department that makes life difficult for competitors. Dire prospects may also be listed: for example, the European Union is already chartering ships to ferry thousands of Ukrainian refugees to the United States in the event of Ukraine's defeat. Europe's main task at this historic juncture is to block any attempt at an alliance between the United States and Putin's Russia. And, of course, to achieve victory for Ukraine. At any cost.
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