"So I say that and the word is dominate. If you don't dominate your city and your state, they're gonna walk away with you...we're going to have that total domination." President Trump on governors' conference call (June 1, 2020)
I'm one of those folks who's always trying to read between the lines or figure out what's meant by what hasn't been said. So I thought I'd pitch in and explain why the president has recently become so fond of the word "dominate," which has not previously been one of his go-to fave words.
On May 28, I recommended Tony Schwarz's "The Psychopath in Chief," published by Medium.com that same day. Schwarz was the president's ghostwriter for The Art of the Deal. Initially, Schwarz thought that Donald Trump was driven by narcissism to manufacture love and praise. Schwarz, however, has changed his mind. In his latest piece, he explains what he now thinks is the president's primary motivation.
"...what drives Trump more deeply: the need to dominate. His primary goal is to win at any cost and the end always justifies the means. Ultimately, he doesn't care what anyone else thinks or feels. For Trump, the choice between dominating and being loved -- saving himself or saving others -- is no contest."
Later Schwarz says, "He either wins or loses, dominates or submits" and "His obsession with domination and power have prompted Trump to tell lies more promiscuously than ever since he became president... ."
While it may be a coincidence that Schwartz's "dominating" appraisal of the president was followed days later by the president's new penchant for the word "dominate," I doubt it. The president's weekly reading list may be slim, but it would probably include his former ghostwriter's latest work, especially if it were a 10-minute read. In his public presentations stretching back three years, President Trump has copycatted Fox News on a regular basis. Adopting the language of Schwarz's piece seems very in character for him, with an added aggressive wink-wink of one-upsmanship.
If dominating is the president's aspirational goal, perhaps next time he could don some latex and heels, carry a bible in one hand and a whip in the other. Not only would he dominate TV ratings, he wouldn't even have to give a speech. Just crack that whip.
Bob Dietz
June 3, 2020
