Does Donald Trump have feelings? Feelings about how he is portrayed in the media, feelings that might affect his policies?
Frank Bruni, writing in The New York Times, stated “I am not sure he has those (feelings)” [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/opinion/trump-presidency-record-hair.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share].
I care to differ. Of course he has feelings. Mostly rage and contempt fueled by revenge for those he believes have slighted his omnipotence. Everyone must bend a knee to his supremacy or suffer the consequences.
Ever wonder why Trump tepidly supports Ukraine’s battle against Russian aggression? It’s not just because Putin has stroked his ego. Trump is paying Ukraine back for Volodymyr Zelensky’s refusal in 2019 to dig up dirt on Joe and Hunter Biden.
Why has Trump eviscerated off-shore wind farms (and land-based ones, too)? Because Britain permitted a wind farm in the North Sea off Scotland that Trump claims violated the view from one of his golf clubs. (He has similarly objected to Atlantic Ocean wind-farms off the New Jersey coast.)
Why has Trump banned reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico? Because he is offended by their coverage that casts doubt on the wisdom and efficacy of his policies.
Trump is a product of his own construction. Buoyed by his father’s inheritance, he engaged in building and commercial activities that massaged his ego, not necessarily his economic fortune. Bankruptcy after bankruptcy followed his splashdowns into the world of casino gambling and hotel management, along with failures in such diverse endeavors as Trump University, Trump Shuttle, Trump Mortgage, Trump Steaks, Trump Vodka, Trump: The Game, Trump Network, Tour de Trump, Trump Ice, Trump Magazine, and Trump Fragrances (https://share.google/aimode/lV4h4OEzbsLjBXYo4).
Success for Trump came from his role on NBC’s “The Apprentice.”
Trump is a seat-of-the-pants strategizer. Bankruptcies did not phase him in his private life. But as president he is dismantling the foundations of many of America’s crowning achievements, including: Environmental protections. National parklands. Mandatory vaccinations. International alliances. Military diversity. Medical research. Immigration policy (https://share.google/aimode/lV4h4OEzbsLjBXYo4).
Trump’s whacking out America’s exceptionalism will be felt for years after his tenure ends.
I don’t believe he cares.
