The judge’s words about Trump and fraud are destroying his image

Today the myth of business genius may be crumbling

Zoom in on the screen

A New York judge has concluded that Donald Trump committed years of fraud.

The judge stated that the former president defrauded banks and insurance companies by grossly overstating the value of his private assets. In this way, he was able to borrow more money to continue building his empire.

Trump himself denies any wrongdoing. It starts today TrialBut after the judge’s ruling, things look bleak for Trump.

It may be different

However, it is not certain that he will be affected politically. The presidential candidate denies these accusations as attacks by his political opponents. It all fits perfectly into the story of a man who stands up to the establishment, hated and bitterly opposed by the elite.

But this trial may actually be different.

Large segments of the American people do not seem to care if Trump commits sexual assaults or calls for a coup. Whether he might not be good at business is another thing.

It’s about the image

For Trump, it’s all about image. Concrete policy proposals may be important, but only if they fit and reinforce his narrative.

That’s why Trump isn’t even interested in participating in debates with other Republican presidential candidates. For him, it is enough for people to know who he is, and what he believes is less important.

Donald Trump became famous as a businessman, not as a president. He was seen as the type of success who had his head on a pole, didn’t care about tradition and could handle himself – he built an empire and became very wealthy in the process.

Not too raw

Of course, Trump himself dismisses the case as part of a politically motivated witch hunt. No doubt his most loyal followers would agree with this story.

But the rest of the population could stumble. They were impressed by the tough but smart businessman who took over New York by running people off their television screens.

Now the picture starts to crack. This has even been found Trump doesn’t particularly like firing employees – When it was necessary in the White House, he preferred to delegate the task to someone else.

It is certainly a contradiction that a fraud ruling would have greater consequences for Trump than a coup attempt. But he is also a politician – and businessman – who has never followed the rules.

what do you think? Talk to Susanna Kirkegaard about Donald Trump. The live chat opens at 09.30, but you can already send posts or questions now.