Trump, "The Buck Does Not Stop Here!"
July 13, 2025โข629 words
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." โ Lord Acton
"The ends justify the means." โ Niccolรฒ Machiavelli
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." โ Abraham Lincoln
"In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act." โ George Orwell
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." โ Martin Luther King Jr.
Truman's "The buck stops here" leadership tenet has been completely reversed in our day and age. Donald Trump is a leader who has perfected the brutal art of power, where blame is currency and perception is more important than principle. Whether the foundation was established prior to his presidency, Trump takes calculated credit when things go well, such as when tariffs are lowered, NATO members increase their contributions, or agreements are negotiated in the Middle East. However, he disappears from ownership the instant anarchy breaks out or policies falter, withdrawing behind a wall of denial and deflection.
His catchphrase, "Somebody else's doing, somebody else's fault," serves as a safeguard for the throne. He taps people on the shoulder for important roles, frequently selecting people who are not qualified or have the mental clarity to successfully lead a branch of government. These appointments are made on the basis of being disposable, loyalty, and obedience rather than merit. The purpose of individuals like Pete Hegseth is to absorb humiliation and protect the leader from consequences; they are not chosen to lead. Their destiny is predetermined; they will fail so that he can succeed, and they will be held accountable so that he can change direction, go back, and regain control without displaying weakness. It is a demonstration of mastery and how power can be used as a weapon of self-preservation when it is deprived of conscience; it is not governance.
As this develops, it becomes clear that Trump's tactics are not just political whims but rather manifestations of psychological tactics based on narcissism, Machiavellian shrewdness, and a lack of diligence qualities that Robert Greene might identify as instruments in the toolbox of the power-hungry. We see a narcissist who finds it impossible to accept the shadow of failure since it undermines the sense of superiority he has painstakingly built. The fantasy of dominance must be maintained by projecting blame externally. Around him, a group of sympathizers repeat praise not because they admire him, but rather because they fear rejection, worthlessness, or punishment.
This government administration is envious of those who are genuinely capable, of those who have the ability to surpass them, and of any truth that contradicts the public's opinion. Machiavellian traits like the willingness to lie, manipulate allegiances, secretly punish disagreements, and change alliances as fast as a tie reinforce this framework. The picture becomes more apparent when you combine this with a lack of diligence, a disregard for the consequences, and a lack of responsibility.
This authoritarian leadership as conquest, not leadership as governance. Errors, omissions, and even national emergencies, such as the Texas flash flood, are not times for introspection but rather for shifting responsibility. And we start to realize that this isn't just about Trump; it's also about how authoritarian leadership has been turned into a show of jealousy, dominance, and self-made myths. It serves as a lesson in how power that isn't restrained by virtue devours the very institutions, the Congress and the Judiciary, that are supposed to hold it in check.
After disasters like the Texas flood, Trump reflexively blames Biden