By Emma Shortis
The verdicts keep coming.
On Friday US time, the three-month hearing focused on Donald Trump’s business dealings in New York came to an end. Trump was ordered to pay back more than $US350 million (A$537 million), plus interest. He and two of his associates are banned from directing any business in New York for three years. His two sons, Donald Jr and Eric Trump, have also been handed two-year bans, and ordered to pay US$4 million (A$6.1 million) each.
In his judgement, New York Judge Arthur Engoron gave his own insight into the Trump phenomenon, describing what he saw as a “complete lack of contrition and remorse” that “borders on pathological”.
While Engoron was referring specifically to business fraud in New York, the judge’s observation might also apply to Trumpism writ large.
Coverage of the case and its stunning end has consistently focused on Trump’s celebrity – after all, he built his national profile on the back of his supposed business acumen, trading on his long stint as host of the popular television show The Apprentice.
The results of this civil case certainly seem to poke holes in the image of Trump as a consummate businessman. Combined with the money he owes as the result of his loss of a second civil defamation trial brought by E. Jean Carroll, Trump is now in upwards of half a billion dollars of debt. It’s not clear where this money will come from, or what will happen to Trump’s existing New York businesses.
This has led some commentators to argue this most recent case represents a “stunning”, “devastating” and “shocking blow” to the image of Trump as a successful real estate mogul better placed than anyone to run the world’s largest and most important economy.
The pathology of Trumpism
It is certainly possible to argue Trump’s reputation as the embodiment of rugged American entrepreneurship played an important role in his successful bid for the presidency in 2016. At least some of his support was drawn from the sense that a political outsider and ruthless businessman would shatter the stale consensus of establishment politics.
But if it were possible to make that argument eight years ago, it is less convincing now.
Trump’s celebrity profile was, of course, critical to his campaign. His rise to political prominence, though, came not so much as a result of his reputation as a successful businessman, but on the back of his unabashed peddling of racist conspiracy theories about the first Black president.
Trump’s ability to tap into a particularly American form of racial revanchism – his political acumen in marrying conspiracy, racism, and political grievance in an increasingly unequal society – is what brought him to power. It is what sustains him still.
The pathology of Trumpism revolves around his politics, not his personal economics. It at least partly explains why this latest case, plus the 91 separate felony charges in four criminal cases, are unlikely to affect Trump’s political support, particularly with his base in the Republican Party.
That base is too far down the road Trump began mapping out when he staked his political reputation on the argument that a Black man could not possibly be qualified for the presidency of the United States. Even a half a billion-dollar hole punched through his business reputation will not change that.
Nothing, or everything, might change
That does not mean, however, that continued support for Trump is inevitable.
In another New York courtroom this week, a judge ruled that Trump’s first criminal trial will begin in just over a month. On March 25, for the first time in American history, a former president will face criminal charges in court.
In what will likely become the first of four possibly consecutive criminal trials, Trump will face a potential six-week hearing on his efforts to cover up politically damaging information about his relationships with two women in advance of the 2016 presidential election. Dubbed the “hush money” case, this trial represents more than the sordid dealings of an alleged serial adulterer; it represents, arguably, the beginning of a pattern of deliberate election interference that began even before Trump took office.
If it goes ahead as planned, a late March trial date will likely mean these hearings will barely be over before the next set begins. The classified documents case, centering on Trump’s alleged illegal removal of highly classified documents from the White House, is scheduled to begin in Florida in late May. Scheduling for the other two cases, focused on on Trump’s role in the January 6 insurrection and election interference in the state of Georgia, remains unclear.
None of this has ever happened before. There is really no telling what it will mean for Trump, his campaign, or American democracy more broadly.
Polling suggests that a criminal conviction may dent Trump’s national support. It is certainly possible such a conviction (or convictions), combined with eye-watering levels of debt, and the sheer logistics of conducting a national campaign amid multiple criminal trials, will have an impact.
But the pathology of Trumpism has so far proven resistant to what should be crushing blows.
The verdicts will keep coming. Trump may well, too.
Emma Shortis is Adjunct Senior Fellow at the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, at RMIT University in Australia.
David Schaefer says
Lock him up for years please.
Chuck Hughes says
Yes, it will stop him.
DaleL says
Although it is considered unlikely, the Supreme Court still has not decided whether Mr. Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president because of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That would definitely stop him.
Although money isn’t everything in a campaign, President Biden’s reelection campaign has an enormous advantage in money. Mr. Trump’s legal problems are causing some big donors to withhold their money or even send it to Nikki Haley.
As unlikely as it sounds, Haley could defeat Trump. A South Carolina poll on February 1st put Trump up by 43 points. The most recent poll has him up by 23 points. If Trump does not win by double digits, it will be a massive defeat and reported as such.
Time is of essence in a campaign for president. Each of these legal cases takes away from Trump’s time on the campaign trail.
Finally, there is the stress and energy factor. Trump is an old man. His verbal mistakes are becoming more and more pronounced. Even friendly (for Trump) reporting is starting to acknowledge those mistakes.
I am reminded of Linchi. The Chinese concept of a slow painful death. A death by a thousand cuts. In case after case, Donald Trump has lost. His campaign famously lost 60 out of 61 election cases. The one that it won gained nothing of importance. At some point, even Donald Trump will run out of time, resources, and the will to continue.
Dave says
The only thing that will stop Trump, is for all people to exercise their rights and register to vote and then GET OUT AND VOTE. Anything thing else is just mindless talk and no action.
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
It sure won’t and it’s hilarious. Imagine a system so broken that this is able to happen, run by people who spend their time either insider trading or forgetting what year it is, and so many people on the outside rallying behind the people in charge over and over again, Lucy and Charlie Brown football style. Absolute comedy gold.
Charles says
He should have been in jail a long time ago, enough is enough he is the enemy of the USA and is doing Putin’s dirty work. Wake up people.
Bryan says
Sure, things are so much better now since the new administration has stopped the border wall, sold off, at pennies on the dollar, all materials to finish the wall, invited more illegal immigrants, helped raise the price of our energy, and put to bed the fears, and respect that the worlds bad players had for the USA. And let’s not forget that my pension check along with SS never will have the buying power they had four years ago because of CORPORATE greed and high energy prices. I am old enough to realize that once the prices go up one dollar, they might come down fifty cents and politicians will claim that “prices have come down”!!!
I have been part of the working middle class my whole life. We are the largest contributor to this countries taxes and economy, but have to work harder and harder to stay above water without recognition or respect of government or big corporations. Even our local government spends our money freely because it’s easier to spend someone else’s money. Today’s government and all corporations and businesses, only strategize to exploit the incomes of all of us and they make more $ from the working middle class, period. Oh yea, I forgot to mention how the crime rate has been helped by the progressive drive to defund the police in some cities and our federal government allows fentanyl and criminals in. That idea may be coming to an end thankfully, due basically, to it’s failure. Where has common sense gone? Politicians seem to only care to help those who donate to their campaigns, period… Call all of them out, not the orange face one.
Land of no turn signals says says
He needs to get some of Joe’s and Hunters China contacts so he and break even.
Sherry says
Hi David. . . right there with you! How could any “sane” person vote for a man who was found “Guilty” of sexual assault, defamation and fraud in 4 different trails? The people that still support trump are completely morally corrupt!
Laurel says
Land: Actually, he could use Ivanka’s China contacts that helped her get all those Chinese trademarks. Or, how about Jared’s Saudi Arabia contacts? Don’t forget Putin.
DaleL says
Bryan, you do realize that it was Donald Trump who caused Speaker Mike Johnson to scuttle a compromise agreement that would have allowed President Biden to close the border with Mexico and to provide funding needed to secure the border. It is the former President who wants chaos at the border as a campaign issue.
The United States is now the largest producer of crude oil. The production was 13,308,000 barrels per day in November 2023, the last month for which I could find numbers to be available. That production level is higher than at any prior time in US history. There is a major war going on in Europe which is influencing the price of energy.
You are fortunate to receive both a pension check along with SS. Fortunately SS is indexed for inflation. You will receive a SS increase to compensate you for the post pandemic surge in inflation and the present economic boom.
Not a single city de-funded their police departments. 24/7 Wall Street recently had a story on this. (I read it at MSN.) Here is a brief quote: “Like politicians tend to do, city leaders in Minneapolis pledged to do one thing while doing another. Most famously, Minneapolis pledged to completely disband and defund their police force. They quickly walked that promise back, instead opting for modest budget reallocations.”
Our country has many problems, but it is still the proverbial shining city upon a hill, as famously spoken by Ronald Reagan. That is the reason so many people are willing to risk so much to come here.
Bryan says
DaleL. Do you realize it was sleepy stumbling Joe who opened the border up on day one of his presidency?
If he could do that, why would he need permission to close it since he was the one to open it? Just build a wall. It worked in texas and the migrants are now being redirected by the cartels elsewhere!
Biden is on record saying he will shut down fossil fuels and has made moves to move that along. Let’s see how well that works.
If inflation is 14% and my raise is a healthy 4%, I’m still down 10%. Seems pretty simple.
What I said was “the crime rate has been helped by the progressive drive to defund the police in some cities” You made it sound like I said cities WERE defunded.
I agree with what Ronald Reagan said back then but I believe it has become a swamp and needs to return to being the shining city on the hill in order for the world to once again look up to the United States.
Right now people are risking so much to come here because of all the freebies offered to them by our present administration, and the open border.
Like I first said, the new administration has stopped the border wall, sold off, at pennies on the dollar, all materials to finish the wall, invited more illegal immigrants…..Why not finally build the darn thing correctly once and for all and put that issue away, finally, and move on.
Robjr says
Captain Underpants needs to get his son in law, Jared Kushner’s $2 billion Saudi contacts.
richiesanto says
Last rate of inflation from Jan is 3.09%… Looks like you are in the black again.
You trumpers seem to forget that the border with Mexico has been an issue for DECADES. Your savior managed to build a whopping 300 miles. WAHOO!
Trump is a criminal and incited a riot on the Capitol. He will be the FIRST president ever tried on criminal charges, He is currently ranked LAST on the list of all time presidents. He brags of sexually assaulting women and then claims he is being persecuted when he is tried for THAT EXACT THING. He praised Putin and the Charlottesville neo-nazis.
Bryan, I suggest you see someone for your delusional thinking. It will really affect your life.
Laurel says
Bryan: You work for the city and got a 4% raise, and the annual inflation rate is 3.1%, therefore, you are ahead.
Change the channel, man. How about watching Bloomberg for awhile and be greatful you got a raise.
DaleL says
Politico has a list of 17 things that President Biden did on day one. He did not open the border up on day one. He did (quote from Politico):
“Biden declared an immediate termination of the national emergency declaration that the Trump administration used to divert federal funding to building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and ordered a pause on its construction while the new administration reviews the funding and contracts.”
Inflation isn’t 14% and has not been that high since 1980. The US hit an annual rate of 7% in 2021. It was 6.5% in 2022 and 3.4% in 2023. In 1980, inflation was 13.9%.
Illegal/undocumented immigrants do not receive “freebies” from the federal government. CBS News reported in May 2023 that: “Unauthorized migrants, or those who haven’t entered the U.S. through a legal pathway such as receiving a work visa or gaining asylum or refugee status, aren’t eligible for most major federal aid programs. That means unauthorized migrants can’t receive benefits from programs including food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (or welfare), and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, among other federal aid.”
Bryan, I suggest you find a more reliable news source. You seem to have fallen victim to faux news.
Bryan says
So I guess I’m so delusional I just think I’m paying more for gas and food to name only two.
What a relief to know that most of my bills are not really going up. Thanks for the insight folks.
DaleL says
The overall inflation rate may not match your particular situation. People who drive large vehicles that get poor fuel economy are particularly affected by gasoline prices. The 2020 pandemic dropped demand for gasoline so low that oil production was drastically cut back. Gasoline prices were incredibly low then. Perception is also an issue. News media are constantly running stories meant to attract our attention. Gloom and doom stories are the focus of many networks.
Finally, the 7% inflation in 2021, 6.5% in 2022, and 3.4% in 2023 are compounded. Thus 1.07 x 1.065 x 1.034 = 1.178. So on average, prices are up 17.8% from the end of 2020 to the beginning of 2024. Still it is not as bad as for 1979, 1980, 1981 period when prices went up by 39%!
Laurel says
Robjr: Notice how Ivanka and Jared slipped away to Miami and haven’t been in court supporting their dad? All in the family!