Looking at Trump directing the symphony of applause for the peace agreement in Gaza, the key to understanding him is as follows: he is not a politician, not by a long shot – he is a star.
The old saying that „politics is showbiz for ugly people” is so good that it should be true. But in fact, they are different things – politics has always been politics, and showbiz is something else. Not in the special case of Donald Trump, though.
The current American president is best understood as a megastar from the era of glamour. It’s extraordinary that Trump didn’t even need to resort to cocaine. And probably when he dies, scientists will discover that his body naturally produced cocaine as a side effect of digesting well-cooked hamburgers, writes Marina Hyde in an opinion article published by The Guardian.
Everything Trump says or does doesn’t remind one of a politician, but rather of a giant in the entertainment industry, driven by his ego. Monday afternoon, in Egypt, with all the awkward world leaders accompanying him, it was what can be called the official launch party of a peace process, and it seems this eagerly awaited agreement simply could not have existed without him.
– Summit for peace Trump-Sissi in Sharm el-Sheikh. The release of hostages from Gaza will start Monday morning, confirms Hamas
### Trump speaks and behaves like a superstar
In recent years, you’ve probably read many interpretations of the „Trump doctrine,” often written by former Foreign Ministers or respected diplomats who, however, fail to capture the essence of the entity they are dealing with.
Perhaps the reason they seem to have had so many problems in decoding things convincingly is that most of these people either consider showbiz beneath them or know little more about it than they do about some obscure branch of chemistry.
The confusion they encounter lies in trying to compare Trump to Henry Kissinger or Benjamin Franklin or some European dictator from the 20th century who chooses his own style, when in fact it’s clear that he should be compared to Elizabeth Taylor, Taylor Swift, or Led Zeppelin, the author writes.
The difficulty in categorizing Trump is even more bewildering because he clearly expresses his essential showbiz profile.
He constantly talks about his audiences, publishes the equivalent of negative political discussions twice a week, is pathologically allergic to anyone who receives more attention than him, has an attraction to staged events, and fully embraces team efforts. He is unpredictable and easily bored – all of this, both by birth and for tactical reasons.
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### Trump demands and gets what he wants
Showbiz legends are born and made. What we saw on Monday in Israel and Egypt was the action of a mega-star, Hyde explains.
It is remarkable that in an era where the most praised quality of a celebrity is „authenticity,” Trump is a politician about whom no one ever says, „Yes, but what does he actually believe?”. Everything is on display. You watch it. Everything he does, including the current ceasefire and peace plan, stems from the distinct, bold practice of asking people to bring him projects, which will only be carried out if his name is attached.
– World leaders sign the agreement for Gaza. Trump: It took 3,000 years, but it will endure (Video)
And people bring him all sorts of projects – international hotel developments, peace processes, perfume lines. All these become what Hollywood would call „a Donald Trump vehicle.” There could very well be associated products with this armistice if it holds and develops.
### The only star fighting for EGONT
Few megastars still do things exclusively for humanitarian or artistic reasons. Commerce becomes a way to keep score and plays a more significant role, Hyde emphasizes.
She returns to the example of Taylor Swift, who attacked Katy Perry when she tried to hire some of her dancers. Practically, as Taylor said, „she tried to sabotage an entire tour.”
It’s hard to overlook the feeling that when Trump acted in this peace agreement, he did it for selfish reasons. Commerce is his special area, and it’s better not to touch it without consent. In the case of Qatar, where the Trump family organization had just completed a three billion dollar deal to build a luxury golf resort, surely anyone would do well not to throw rockets over there. What Netanyahu couldn’t resist doing, Trump gave Qatar a special guarantee.
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The author also notes the segment from the speech given Monday in the Knesset, where Trump intervened in Netanyahu’s processes for fraud and bribery. It was one of the funniest warnings you’ll ever see in politics and very hard to greet with anything other than an involuntary laugh of disbelief. „Come on, give him a pardon. Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump said, addressing the President of Israel.
Twenty-one stars have an EGOT (meaning they have won the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards). But only one star is aiming for an EGONT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Nobel, and Tony), the author concludes.
T.D.