Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the worst of them all?
If the question is about Roman emperors, many historians would say it is the narcissistic Nero. He demanded flattery, renamed institutions after himself, built a gold-leafed palace, installed a 100-foot statute of himself and wanted to rename Rome “Neropolis”.
Clarifying that ancient Rome is not modern US and Nero’s extreme actions are incomparable, several western analysts are likening Donald Trump to Nero. It is Neroesque when Trump expects applause after his rambling infantile, self-praising jokes. He transformed the dignified Oval Office into a gaudy, gilt-and-gold bling den, demolished a White House wing to construct an ornate ballroom and is renaming institutions and airports after him. It’s not hard to imagine a “Trumpolis”.
Trump and Nero are erratic and grandiose, but these are minor examples compared to their egregious actions. The pain and chaos caused by Trump’s caprice, bullying, abuse and vendetta provoke commentators to see Nero in him. Polish parliamentarian Włodzimierz Czarzasty warned Trump: “The times when Nero, under threat of punishment, demanded recognition for his musical talents have been regarded as the beginning of the decline of the Roman empire.” Republican donor and hedge fund manager Ken Griffin said the Trump administration’s decisions have been “very, very enriching—for his own family”.
Donald Trump | AFP
Backlash brews. British journalist Gideon Rachman writes, “As Trump’s behaviour becomes more and more indefensible, a genuine backlash is finally under way and is steadily increasing the chance that his presidency will ultimately be seen as a grotesque aberration—rather than a lasting shift.” Several democracies—including India during the Emergency—have faced authoritarianism, ended finally by voters. The descent into autocracy can lead to civil war and repression. It can also be reversed and the character of the nation restored.
Faced with backlash, Trump habitually denies, doubles-down and defames. Trump’s temper tantrum, following the supreme court ruling against his tariffs, showcased his stark them-against-me world view where critics are “traitors” and supporters “genius”. Judges who opposed him are “fools and lapdogs”, “unpatriotic and disloyal” while those who filed the lawsuit against him “foreign-centric sleazebags”. In fury, he slapped an additional 15 per cent global tariff under a different legal clause.
The world does not believe his bombast, but Trump himself does. Spawned by distortions and false beliefs, his fantasies endanger the world. He believes his “landslide” victory and the US stock market rise to “70,000”, grant him supranational powers. “I can destroy the trade; I can destroy the country,” he thundered. He is America. And those who thwart him—the “treacherous” court, congress, citizens—“disgraced the nation”. He would have us believe that the opponents ganging up against him stifle his better instincts. “I want to be a good boy,” he complains. Trump is no Jacob Blivens in Mark Twain’s The Story of the Good Little Boy. Blivens was caring, righteous and never told lies.
Experts say the US “decline” is an overstatement, given its powerful military, economy and democratic pillars. Nero killed his mother and wives, though modern historians believe some stories are exaggerated. But his successors buried his gigantic palace, reclaiming the 200 acres for public use. More apt is comparing Trump to 18-year-old Commodus who became Roman emperor 100 years after Nero. Says American scholar Robert Denham, “Trump and Commodus represent a structural flaw. The ancient Roman imperial system and the current American monarchical executive and personalised party allowed inexperienced immature men to gain near-absolute power with semi-divine status. But there is a difference.” He adds, “Trump is an old, immature man.”
Pratap is an author and journalist.