The author of the publication, Peter Baker, writes that Trump’s attempts to present himself as “the only dominant figure in the world” have become commonplace and are no longer surprising. The journalist recalled that the head of the White House portrayed himself as a monarch, a superman, a Jedi, a military hero and “even the Pope in a white cassock.”
What is happening now in the United States under Trump's presidency, Baker calls “the creation of a cult of personality, the likes of which have never been seen in American history.”
Other presidents have “cultivated” their reputations, the author said, but “none has gone as far as Trump” with his “idolatrous” image.
Baker, who covers White House politics for the NYT, argues that Trump's portraits are everywhere in the United States and that they could even appear on a one-dollar coin.
At a recent national prayer breakfast, Trump said that he has a “really big ego,” and none of those present raised any objections, the media emphasizes.
His piece notes that cults of personality are typically associated with dictators like the Soviet Joseph Stalin, China's Mao Zedong, Italy's Benito Mussolini and Russia's Vladimir Putin, but “Trump doesn't seem concerned about going down a dangerous path.”
Baker writes that Trump administration officials do not reject the idea that the president is cultivating a cult of personality, and even “appear to argue that such a claim is well deserved.”
In particular, White House Communications Director Stephen Cheng believes that Trump will go down in history “as the most successful and influential president” of the United States.
In addition, Trump’s team stated that “Trump never gets tired and never gets sick,” and the opposite opinion could be regarded as high treason, the media writes.
The author also recalled Trump's statement at the inauguration in January 2025: “God saved me [от уголовного преследования за штурм Капитолия]to make America great again.”
