Trump’s Payback Presidency
America’s 21st Century Ahab and the All Too Real Risks of Rage
Welcome to the Civic Way journal, our quick take on the relevance of current events to America’s future governance. The author, Bob Melville, is the founder of Civic Way, a nonprofit dedicated to good government, and a management consultant with over 45 years of experience improving public agencies.
“They think me mad … but I’m demonic, I am madness maddened! … I now prophesy that I will dismember my dismemberer.” – Ahab, Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
The Naivety of Hope
It has been two months since Donald Trump reoccupied the White House. He won the popular vote with a narrow plurality and the Electoral College handily. Since only MAGA voters deny election results they don’t like, no one is contesting his victory. Much like an angry Austrian-born German politician nearly 90 years ago, Trump won the presidency through democratic means.
Among the 75 million who voted for former Vice President Harris, at least some hoped that this time would be different. That Trump would seize the opportunity to become a president for all Americans. To set aside his seething anger and petty grievances. To curb the pointless insults. To use his purported deal-making skills to solve big problems. To help people find common cause and unify the nation. To care more about us than himself. To become a better person, and leader.
It was not to be. Any hopes for a “new Trump” were quickly crushed under the ugly rhetoric and harsh actions of the early days of Trump’s second term.
The Spoils of Retribution
Upon winning the election, Trump promised not to seek vengeance against his political opponents, “I’m not looking to go back into the past… Retribution will be through success.” It did not take long for those words to ring hollow. On Thanksgiving, Trump posted, “Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country…”
Since taking office in January, Trump has been even more enraged, mercurial and vindictive than ever. Every deed has had the same powerful motivation—to punish (or at least confound) Trump’s endless list of perceived enemies.
Insult or humiliate foreign nations that have failed to display the deference to which Trump felt entitled (e.g., European Union[i], NATO, Canada[ii], Greenland, Panama and Ukraine).
Threaten defiant Democratic-run state governments with federal funding cuts, sue others for resisting immigration or transgender athlete policies (e.g., Chicago, Illinois and Maine).
Nominate lackeys and replace senior military officers with fiercely loyal mediocrities to facilitate his use of the federal muscle agencies (i.e., Defense, Justice and FBI) to carry out his agenda (e.g., prosecute opponents[iii], quell domestic disturbances and deport immigrants)[iv].
Fire thousands of federal civil service employees, intimidate the rest and replace professional civil servants with political loyalists based on purity tests (reinstate Schedule F).
Fire the US Archivist and dismiss most senior staff at the National Archives (NARA), the agency that exposed Trump’s improper handling of files after he left office.
Dismantle agencies associated with perceived nemeses (e.g., Department of Education, National Institutes of Health and US AID).
Punish private law firms that represented political foes (e.g., suspend security clearances and bar access to government buildings and officials).
Call CNN and MSNBC “corrupt,” make the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) more partisan, order the FCC to investigate outlets, sue media outlets, threaten independent journalists[v], limit White House press pool access and kill the Voice of America.
Attack federal judges as “evil” and encourage allies to “ramp up efforts to discredit” or impeach judges who challenged his executive orders.
Punish dissenting first term appointees by removing their security teams and public portraits[vi].
Withhold federal funds from universities with policies or students that somehow offended Trump (e.g., Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania).
Purge the Kennedy Center of Democratic board members, replace the director with a political ally and appoint himself board chair in the name of ending “woke” performances.
Order the deletion of tributes to Black, female and Hispanic veterans from government websites (e.g., Defense Department and Arlington National Cemetery).
Trump largely used his recent Congressional address to recount his grievances and inflame partisan divisions. He told Republicans, “It’s our presidency.” He railed against “wokeness.” He insulted Senator Warren and taunted Democrats for launching investigations against him (“How did that work out?”).
There is one thread that runs through everything Trump has said or done since his election. It is his rage and the torment that fuels that rage. Underlying every action has been an unbridled impulse to nurse his wounds and attack those who wounded him. Coming to terms with this disturbing impulse—and its permanence—is a prerequisite to preserving our republic.
Exploiting Trump’s Inability to Change
He [Trump] indulges mediocrities who flatter him. – WSJ Editorial Board (10-20-24)
After three presidential election campaigns, Trump’s flaws are well known to nearly all Americans, even his admirers. He craves attention, adulation and power. He is rude, crude and often incoherent. He bullies and lies. He never apologizes, expresses regret or accepts responsibility for mistakes. He is drawn to flatterers and despots. He despises liberals, journalists and women.
For those of us who hoped for transformation, our disappointment has come quickly. Trump simply cannot change. He remains the erratic, lying narcissist he was throughout his first term. The man who inflated the size of his inaugural crowds. The man whose best known policy was a giant wall. The man who incited and then pardoned the January 6thresurrectionists. The man who cannot forget the most trivial of insults. If anything, his countless character flaws are more pronounced and alarming.
The character flaw that rises above all others is Trump’s inability to forgive. Trump has many loves—winning, wealth, adulation—but there is one motive that has always trumped all others—revenge. As far back as 1992, Trump told Charlie Rose how much he loved getting even with people. As President, Trump is far more focused on retribution than solutions (like the bipartisan immigration bill). He cares far more about settling scores than anything else, including his legacy or our nation’s survival.
While Trump has not changed, his administration has. The 2nd Trump White House is dominated by smart, ruthless zealots who know how to manipulate Trump’s madness. Virtually every secretary and West Wing staffer will go to any length to stroke Trump’s ego and entertain his delusions. What is most frightening is their end game. When Russell Vought became the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, the object of their manipulations became clear—to enact Project 2025 priorities and a Christian nationalist agenda.
Grasping how Trump’s madness is being manipulated by smart people with an extremist agenda is essential to understanding where the Trump administration will likely take us, and what must be done to prevent that fate.
Trump, Our 21st Century Ahab
In one of his early campaign rallies, Trump vowed to punish his perceived enemies. “For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.” While Trump’s supporters insisted that such threats should not be taken literally, it is woefully clear after the first two months that we should have taken them very literally—and very seriously.
For too long we have been distracted by Trump’s personality. It is no secret that Trump is riddled with character flaws we would never accept in a friend. Many of his most ardent MAGA supporters agree. The questions about Trump— for example, his dishonesty, instability and morality—have been answered many times over. Yet, Trump’s “flood the zone” approach works as well for his character flaws as it does for his conduct. It distracts his opponents and keeps them off balance.
To stop Trump’s ruinous policies and preserve the ideals and institutions that truly made America great, we must stop obsessing about his innumerable character flaws. We need know only one thing about him. He is a tormented soul who cannot forget the smallest slight. His rage is his life blood. His thirst for vengeance is unquenchable. He will never stop trying the destroy his perceived enemies.
In Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Captain Ahab used the Pequod, the whaler he captained, to chase Moby Dick, the great white whale. On an earlier voyage, Captain Ahab had lost his leg to Moby Dick. He became obsessed with his quest to avenge that loss. He was determined to kill Moby Dick even if it meant the loss of his ship and crew. He was willing to risk everything—and everyone—to satisfy his rage and quest for vengeance. Trump is different in only one respect. Ahab had only one white whale.
Conclusion
“We have confidence that American institutions—the Supreme Court, the military, Congress—would resist any attempt to subvert the Constitution.” – WSJ Editorial Board
Like those of us who hoped for a “new Trump,” the Wall Street Journal is naive. Even the strongest constitutional system can’t inoculate its citizens against fear and ignorance. At some point, every democracy elects demagogues bent on destroying the system. Throughout US history, our constitution, people and good fortune have protected us from such nihilists.
This moment is different. The guardrails are disappearing before our eyes. A purged military leadership. A spineless Congress. A compliant Supreme Court. And Trump’s surprising indifference to the stock market and other economic indicators. Even when Trump encounters legal constraints (e.g., the Impoundment Act), he ignores them and dares the courts to enforce them.
Trump is an existential threat to the constitution, democracy and rule of law. Like Ahab, Trump will not—and cannot—stop. He will pursue his white whales until he is satiated but cannot be satiated. Worse yet, this time America is the Pequod. Unless we are focused, disciplined and united, we will share the Pequod’s fate.
Is there a good bumper sticker in here somewhere? 'Power to the whales!' ?
And what might be the hand sign or call we'd use to declare ourselves to others?
I'm glad to ask these hard questions. Hopefully Mr. Melville will provide the recommendations.
Small little man with a dangerous big ego