It’s Time to Duck Donald

We understand poor Donald Duck. Sharing his first name with the 47th president of the United States is a constant ordeal that would justify therapy or, at the very least, a change of name. Because while one is a grumpy but ultimately lovable duck, the other is a walking paradox who has redefined the contours of the American presidency. « Sheriff of the apocalypse or madman of the tsar? “ His entire approach, from his personal brand to his governance and foreign policy, is a coherent expression of a strategy focused on perception, repetition, and a disregard for conventional norms. The world, preparing for war after decades of relative peace, is left to wonder how America will eventually « wake up » from this « deconstruction » and what the future holds. Not to forget a skillful exploitation of perception rather than facts, all in the service of a quest for personal power, ”unable to distinguish his personal interests from those of the nation, » as his former National Security Advisor John Bolton so aptly put it…

by Joël-François Dumont — Paris, August 2, 2025 —

Portrait of a president between the Capitol and the greens of Mar-a-Lago

For a long time, people have wondered if he was more stupid than evil. It’s an excellent question. We will need to explore this duality.

Introduction: The permanent paradox

Could the key to his success lie precisely here: in being constantly underestimated by his adversaries who deem him uncultured, while he deploys a cunning and a lack of scruples that make him formidably effective with his base?

To try and unravel this enigma, we will address his character and particular psychology, his informational bubble as a governing strategy, his foreign policy record marked by the seal of the improvised « deal, » and finally, the fascinating personality cult that surrounds him.

I. The art of rudeness and an oversized ego as a signature: The « Trump character »

The character of Donald Trump is defined by a permanent transgression of codes, whether social, diplomatic, or moral.

His best friend for nearly fifteen years, the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who spent time with him sharing many bedroom secrets, once described him in revealing terms.

In 2002, long before the scandal, Trump himself confided to New York Magazine: « I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. »[01] He added: « He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. »[01]

This « lack of a moral compass » is confirmed by a litany of testimonies from former collaborators. John Bolton, his national security advisor, described in his memoir a man incapable of distinguishing his personal interest from that of the nation.[02] Mark Esper, his secretary of defense, depicted a dangerous president, guided only by his image and his re-election.

The golf anecdote is a perfect metaphor for his presidency in this regard: the rules are for others. Rick Reilly, a sports journalist who dedicated an entire book to the subject, « Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, » describes him bluntly. « I always said golf is like a bike short. It reveals a lot about a man, » Reilly writes, before concluding: « And golf reveals a lot of ugliness in this president. »[03] This propensity to ignore the rules also manifested in his way of governing and interacting with others.

His body language speaks volumes: his famous virile handshakes with Emmanuel Macron, his rude attitude with certain heads of state—it all stems from a diplomacy of domination rather than negotiation.

And what about his 8 cm high signature? Analyzed by graphologists as the pinnacle of narcissism, it is more a « brand » than a signature, the seal of a CEO on a product.[04] It screams « immense personal pride » and « a great need to be in charge. »[04]

II. Fox News, tweets, and decrees: Governing from his couch

On the very day of his inauguration and his oath to serve America (in his own way), from the beginning, in a peculiar staging somewhere between the trumpets of Aida and a live broadcast from Survivor, Donald Trump, savoring Biden’s defeat, made no secret that he was going to bring happiness to America.

He wanted to mark his territory. An astute observer thought he saw that evening « a demigod, half-madman, half-jester, striking adult poses to utter childish nonsense, flanked by a first lady masked by an enormous hat, surrounded by a family in their Sunday best with greedy expressions, before an audience of swooning billionaires who applauded his every word. Catholic and Jewish blessings, oracles, cantatas, and trumpets for the arrival of the new Messiah. » Regretting, by the way, that « the French Mozart of finance had not been invited to this farcical display, while the Italian Meloni—perhaps in memory of the Duce »—she was at the party. Along with « all the representatives of all the European fascist parties. The worldwide broadcast unleashed the enthusiasm of commentators on news channels beholden to their wealthy owners. » And that very evening, proud of himself, Trump signed his first decrees before unleashing his vengeful tweets…

A great moment in television! What a shame that Claude Darget or Coluche couldn’t commentate on this great page of American history live for us, so that it would remain etched in the annals (and we mean that) of television…

Trump doesn’t need to read reports or newspapers, because he doesn’t govern based on facts, but on a simple and repetitive narrative.

His main source of information seems to be Fox News, which is something. And his only audience, « his faithful base, » the supporters of the MAGA movement who might be starting to have doubts. Among the 93% of Americans who think the Trump administration is lying in the Epstein affair, this base is not absent; it may even have stepped up, but for now, it settles for « move along, nothing to see here »… Wait & see!

In-depth investigations by The New York Times have extensively documented his « Executive Time, » a period largely spent watching television and reacting on his social network.[05] The fact that he reads very little, if at all, the notes from his intelligence services is a central point, reported by multiple sources within his own administration. It’s like when one of his interlocutors speaks for more than two minutes, you can see him getting tired… We saw it recently with African heads of state whom he asked in the Oval Office to simply give « their name and the name of the country they represented. » Some will attribute this to his advanced age; others, better informed about his legendary self-importance, believe that since Trump knows everything, he has nothing to learn from anyone. Let it be known!

He seems to churn out executive orders like a battery hen lays eggs. Beyond the metaphor, it’s a reality that accurately reflects the Trump method. His decrees are often poorly written and frequently challenged in court. Their main purpose is not so much efficiency as communication.[06] Each decree is an episode of the Trump « show, » intended to prove to his supporters that he is « getting things done. »

The favorite refrain, « It’s Biden’s fault, » even if it would delight Voltaire, has become a populist classic. This simple rhetoric, hammered out on Fox News and Truth Social, creates an alternate reality for his supporters. There is no complexity, just heroes (him) and villains (Biden, the « radical Democrats, » etc.), and a constant stream of falsehoods. Moreover, he lies « like a rug, » or as others would say, like Putin.

III. The World according to Trump: Between Putin, Kim, and the « Flops »

Trump’s foreign policy was marked by a more than suspicious pro-Russian tropism, one of the most troubling constants of his presidency. At the Helsinki summit in 2018, he seemed to trust Vladimir Putin more than his own intelligence agencies. Asked who he believed regarding Russian interference in 2016, he said: « President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be. »[07] That Donald Trump would fall for Vladimir’s charm is beyond doubt, but to take him for a Russian agent is a step we will not take, as he is better suited to be a contestant on Survivor than a secret agent. As John Schindler puts it very well:

« If you know Chekist modus operandi, Trump was what Russian spies call a “confidential contact,” (doveritelnaya svyaz) which falls well short of the Western definition of an intelligence agent.»

Tod Leventhal, an authority on these matters not just in the United States wrote:

« Some people don’t even know they are one. Seriously, can you image Trump as any kind of spy? He’d crack under pressure in ten seconds. You’d have to search a while to find someone less temperamentally suited to clandestine work than Donald J. Trump.

Thus, Don never got his Trump Tower in Moscow, which is what he wanted all along. That’s a pretty good tell that the secret relationship between Trump and the KGB (and its post-Soviet successor in foreign intelligence, the SVR) was never consummated. But the Kremlin never forgets. This is the “kompromat” on Trump that liberals became obsessed with. It’s not about “pee-pee tapes” and such – the Russians probably do have videos of Trump’s sexual antics, but let’s be honest, Don would brag about them and might post them online himself – rather the secret relationship between Trump and the KGB in the 1980s, the details of which would be embarrassing for Trump, even though that clandestine partnership never really panned out.» (Source : Disinformation Aimed at Policymakers, by Todd Leventhal in Todd’s Substack), Feb. 05, 2024.

The Mueller Report, without proving explicit collusion, detailed « numerous » and « systematic » contacts between his campaign team and Russian intermediaries.[08] His old relationships with the mafia and Russian authorities could be linked to his past real estate deals and the need for foreign capital, often of opaque origin. His own son, Eric Trump, confided to a golf journalist in 2014: « We don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia. »[03]

Trump approached geopolitics like a real estate developer: a photo op, a handshake, and on to the next project. Follow-up and substance are almost non-existent. His « deal » diplomacy often led to fiascos:

In North Korea, the spectacular summits with Kim Jong-un, worthy of a TV show, resulted in no concrete denuclearization. It was pure theater. Despite the historic meetings, analysts agree that progress stalled and Pyongyang continued to expand its arsenal.[09] The big winner? Rocket Man, for sure.

In Afghanistan, the Doha Agreement with the Taliban, negotiated in 2020 without the Afghan government, paved the way for the chaotic withdrawal finalized by the Biden administration.[10] It is a perfect example of his logic of « I’ll fix this quick and get out. »

In the Middle East, his supporters praise the Abraham Accords. To be serious and well-documented, they must be mentioned: these agreements normalized relations between Israel and a few Gulf monarchies. However, it must be immediately qualified that these agreements did absolutely nothing to resolve the Palestinian issue, which Trump superbly ignored, leading to the current impasse.[11]

The idea of him receiving a Nobel Peace Prize for a record that « always ended in a flop » is the height of irony.

Conclusion: A Demigod with Feet of Clay

In summary, the character of Donald Trump—narcissistic and unscrupulous—the method of the informational bubble, and the often calamitous results of his foreign policy form a coherent whole. He did not « fail » to be a traditional president; he never tried to be one.

Let’s return to our initial question: Is Donald Trump more stupid than evil?

The answer may not be one or the other. Perhaps his « stupidity »—his lack of culture, his disinterest in facts—is the tool of his « evil »—his limitless quest for power. He is a man who has perfectly understood that, in our media age, the perception of strength is more important than strength itself, and that the repetition of a lie is more effective than the demonstration of a truth.

Despite accumulating a number of enormous flaws and surrounding himself with « incompetents to avoid any dissent, » he nonetheless remains a demigod for his MAGA base that venerates him.

He is not their political leader; he is their cultural icon, the symbol of their rebellion against the elites. He is not judged on his record, but on the enemies he makes. It is in this that he remains, despite everything, a formidable political force and an enigma for American democracy.

And for all these reasons, poor Donald, the Duck, wants to change his first name.

For the moment, America is witnessing its own deconstruction day by day, perhaps waiting to one day wake up and blow the whistle to end the recess.

The world is changing after 80 years of relative peace; today, the whole world is preparing for war. While it is difficult to understand how it begins, one can well guess how it might end. What will Americans say in the privacy of the voting booth at the next mid-terms?

Joël-François Dumont

See Also:

• « Es ist Zeit Donald zu ducken » — (2025-0802) —
• « It’s Time to Duck Donald » — (2025-0802) —
• « Time to Duck Donald ! » — (2025-0802) —
• « Час прихилитися від Дональда » — (2025-0802) —

In-depth Analysis:

Notes

[01] New York Magazine, « Trump Says He’s Known ‘Terrific Guy’ Jeffrey Epstein for 15 Years » (July 10, 2019, citing an original 2002 article).

[02] Bolton, John, « The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, » Simon & Schuster, 2020. Bolton notably writes that for Trump, the distinction between personal and national interests was non-existent.

[03] The Guardian, ‘Rick Reilly: ‘Donald Trump will cheat you on the golf course and then buy you lunch‘, » December 10, 2019. (Eric Trump’s quote is also reported in Reilly’s book).

[04] Forest Park Review, « « The Donald’s signature is quite revealing«, » April 11, 2017.

[05] The New York Times, « Trump’s Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation« , » December 9, 2017. The article details how the president would start his days by watching Fox News for hours…

[06] The Brookings Institution, « Tracking deregulation in the Trump era«. » Numerous legal and institutional analyses have documented the high rate of legal challenges and setbacks suffered by the Trump administration’s executive orders.

[07] U.S. Embassy in Estonia, « Remarks by President Trump and President Putin in Joint Press Conference, » (July 16, 2018). See also: « The Russian Project for the United States » — (2025-0329) —. Françoise Thom explains how « The interests of Russian oligarchs converge with those of the Big Tech magnates. Putin and the great oligarchs, Russian and American, believe they are above the law. Putin’s contempt for the law goes so far as to challenge the very notion of a state, precisely because a state is based on a legal framework and has borders, which displeases him. Trumpism aims to replace the state with a ‘vertical of power’ à la Putin, in which officials are chosen for their loyalty and not their competence. The dismantling of the state is accompanied by deregulation that benefits the great oligarchs who aspire to control financial flows. This is why Kremlin strategists understood very early on what services Western libertarians could render them… Duginist theses have permeated the Putin regime and have inspired the policy of destroying the United States implemented over the past 20 years… Everything the Trump administration is currently achieving. »

[08] U.S. Department of Justice, « Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election » The « Mueller Report » (March 2019) states that the investigation « identified numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. » See also the latest analysis by Françoise Thom, « The Cesspool and the Chaos: The Russian Connection of the Epstein Affair, » which highlights the close relationships that financier Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine’s father, Robert Maxwell, a British press magnate, maintained with the highest spheres of Soviet, then Russian, power.

[09] Associated Press, « North Korea says Kim-Trump ties are ‘not bad‘ but it’s not giving up its nuclear weapons, » July 29, 2025. The article summarizes well the stalemate in negotiations and the continuation of the North Korean nuclear program.

[10] Just Security, « Legal Implications of the Doha Agreement Under Trump, » March 12, 2025. The analysis highlights how the agreement « facilitated a rapid Taliban takeover. »

[11] ResearchGate, « The Impact of Abraham Accords on the Palestine Cause » (September 2024). A study analyzing how the accords sidelined the Palestinian issue.