The Cult of Greatness: How Trump’s Obsession With History Reflects a Deeper American Ambition

The latest revelation from Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman’s book Regime Change offers a fascinating glimpse into Donald Trump’s psyche. According to Swan, Trump has long been fixated on becoming a “great man of history” during his second term. This notion should send shivers down the spines of anyone familiar with the darker chapters of our nation’s past.

From Andrew Jackson’s brutal suppression of Native American tribes to Theodore Roosevelt’s martial posturing on the world stage, the United States has always had a fraught relationship with its own greatness. We have consistently projected an image of ourselves as a beacon of liberty and justice, even as we have frequently fallen short of these ideals. Trump’s desire to join the pantheon of great leaders is merely the latest iteration of this national fantasy.

Trump’s fixation on greatness suggests a deep-seated insecurity – a fear that our nation will be seen as anything less than exceptional by the rest of the world. This anxiety has driven some of America’s most pivotal decisions, from the invasion of Iraq to the abandonment of Afghanistan. Trump’s pursuit of greatness underscores the ways in which this national neurosis continues to warp our foreign policy and domestic agenda.

The recent controversy over the US withdrawal from Syria illustrates how Trump’s pursuit of greatness has real-world consequences. By attempting to leave a lasting legacy through military conquest, he risks exacerbating regional instability and destabilizing the global order. This is not mere partisan posturing; it is a symptom of a broader disease that infects American politics.

Trump’s fixation on greatness is a throwback to an earlier era in American politics – one marked by imperial ambition and a disregard for international law. The United States has long been wary of its own power, but this ambivalence often gives way to a messianic fervor when the stakes are high enough.

We see echoes of this in Trump’s frequent comparisons of himself to historical figures like Hitler and Stalin, as reported by Jonathan Swan. These analogies may seem outlandish at first glance, but they speak to a deeper truth: that Trump sees himself as a transformative figure, capable of reshaping the world in his image.

What does this mean for the future of American foreign policy? It suggests that we will continue to prioritize military might and strategic posturing over more nuanced forms of engagement. We will see further attempts to “project power” around the globe, even as our own national interests are put at risk by these interventions.

The stakes are high indeed. As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, nuclear proliferation, and economic inequality, the United States must find a new way forward – one that prioritizes cooperation over competition, diplomacy over domination. Trump’s fixation on greatness only serves to distract us from this urgent imperative, perpetuating a cycle of violence and instability.

In the end, it is not just Trump who should be held accountable for his pursuit of greatness – it is we, as a nation, who must confront our own complicity in this national fantasy. By acknowledging the darker aspects of our history and the ways in which they continue to shape our politics today, perhaps we can begin to forge a new path forward – one that prioritizes humility over hubris, cooperation over competition, and the collective well-being of humanity above all else.