A Serious Man: Donald Trump in the Late 80's

American Sprezzatura

In the run-up to the 2016 Presidential election, the whole world watched as the entire matrix of American media outlets coagulated into a unified machine. All pretensions of partisan dissent among the various corporations dissolved completely, as this focused behemoth was possessed by a single will. Whether center right, center left, socialist, or pearl-clutching midwest moralizers, the message was the same: Donald Trump would destroy this country.

The left called him a racist and compared him to Mussolini, while the republican establishment attempted to paint him as an immoral playboy utterly allergic to the wholesome Christian values of the heartland. The accusations hurled against him were as numerous as the red MAGA hats that spread across the land with his rise. And while every newsgroup attempted to smear him in a different color of shit, one narrative was repeated regardless of the outlet’s supposed ideological affiliation: Donald Trump was a self-interested grifter, a man running for office purely for attention and cash. That he had no serious interest in the nation, nor the issues that plagued it. Moreover, he was dangerous. We can’t give a man like this the nuclear codes!

Donald Trump is the avatar of a distinctly American sprezzatura. The embodiment of a certain slice of the national spirit. His distinct charisma is intoxicating to his fellow countrymen, a unique ensemble of speech patterns and gesticulations that at first appear utterly absurd, and yet, the unified force of his personality overpowers any perceived clownishness. I always found it fascinating how the legions of late-night show hosts and SNL guests never managed to properly satirize Trump. His distinct mannerisms should have rendered him easy pickings for comedians, and yet… the impressions always fell short. You can’t effectively impersonate the man, he is too self-aware: he is already in on the joke.

A couple of days ago a friend of mine sent me an article, an interview with the Donald from over thirty years ago. An interview that becomes even more remarkable in hindsight. It deflates all of the puffed-up accusations, all of the claims that Trump was never a serious man, that he was never seriously interested in the country. I will begin this article by reposting the entire interview, I believe it is that important. If you find it too long, skim it and skip to the bottom.