The world’s oldest democracy has an emblematic motto inscribed on the ‘great seal’. Adopted in 1782, it reads ‘E pluribus unum’—Latin for ‘out of many, one’—symbolising the social compact recognising the rights of the governed. In 2025, under Donald J Trump, the predominance of ‘one’ over the ‘many’ is stark and striking.
Each of DJT’s 200 days in power is a whirlwind of what’s next. The atmospherics are somewhat reminiscent of Louis XIV, who declared, "L’état, c’est moi" (The state is me). He too imposed tariffs and partnered with financiers to bolster the French economy. Trump has adopted the Nixonian line on presidential powers. And like Andrew Jackson, Trump leans on the advice of the kitchen cabinet to subjugate the system. In one week, he sacked the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief claiming data was rigged, shunted the chief of the Internal Revenue Service and has wanted to sack Jerome Powell for months.
Notice that Trumpian expressions and idiom are tailored for his base—he said the Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan “was kissing my ass”, nicknamed the US Fed chief Jerome ‘too late’ Powell, dubbed a Sydney Sweeny ad as the “hottest” and Taylor Swift “no longer hot”. The coarseness of language harks to Henry VIII, who infamously called his ex-wife a ‘Flanders mare’. As in royal courts, the unprecedented meets with the unexpected and is wrapped in intrigue.
Whether you like him or hate him, Trump theatre is here! Here are a few observations on minding the gaps in his gab. And, as Trump says, “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
By design, Trump occupies headlines with panache for utterances that challenge credulity. His whims and rants trigger sharp views on his cognitive conduct. Following the feud with Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford pointedly said, “I think the cheese slips off the cracker with this guy. He wakes up and even people around him are not sure what he’s going to do, or say.”
Like this week, Trump unilaterally declared additional tariffs of 25 percent on India, taking the total to 50 percent even though talks are slated for August 25. The reason: India buys crude oil from Russia. It doesn’t matter, as this column pointed last week, that the US buys Russian uranium, chemicals and fertilisers, or that the EU will buy Russian gas till 2027. When asked what about the US imports, Trump said, “I don’t know anything about it.”
The art of the deal is also the art of the dodge. This week, Trump was asked if he supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for the takeover of Gaza—even as it faces a humanitarian crisis agitating world leaders. Trump shrugged it off, saying it was “pretty much up to Israel”. The evasive response perhaps suggests Trump’s idea of an Eastern Riviera is alive. Amid the clamour for the release of the Epstein files, Trump denied any knowledge of who cleared the transfer of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum security prison.
The Nobel Peace Prize is a constant punctuation in questions around trade or geopolitics—Pakistan, Cambodia, Israel, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Democratic Republic of Congo have proposed Trump’s name. Apparently, Trump’s ire is triggered by the rejection of his claim of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Did the US step in to broker peace or protect the Pak nuke facility purported to be under its control?
Trump is 199 days late on his promise to end the war in Ukraine in a day. He has yo-yoed from a pro-Putin stance to anti-Russia measures including new sanctions. On Monday, frustrated by Putin, Trump moved two nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions”. On Friday, Trump told the world he was meeting Putin in Alaska on August 15 to stop the war. Will Volodymyr Zelenskyy have a say in the peace deal, will there be a ceasefire?
Hyperbole illuminates Trump. The White House claims trillions are pouring into the US—Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have promised to invest $ 2 trillion. Trade deals apparently have yielded more. Japan will invest $550 billion, Korea $350 billion and the EU $600 billion. Curiously, there are no details or formal agreements in the deals. The markets, which coined the phrase TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out), are now punting on Trump EMPANADA (Everyone Makes Promises and Never Actually Does Anything).
Trump’s tariff tantrums have left leaders of nations and transnationals stranded between flattery and fear. Apple CEO Tim Cook presented his recipe to curry favour. He declared Apple will invest $600 billion in the US building new facilities (but not the iPhone). Incidentally, Apple made commitments to invest $350 billion in 2018 and $430 billion in 2021. The outcomes are fuzzy, but for now Apple escapes tariffs.
During the campaign, Trump spoke big on tackling China—with constraints and tariffs. This was not to be, as China has got the US by the short hair—on supplies of critical components and rare earth. Indeed, the US has, thanks to advocacy by NVidia’s Jenson Huang, relaxed the controls on US export of chips. Meanwhile, Japan resumed purchase of Russian crude, Indonesia is in talks for Russian energy and collaboration, and China continues to be the largest buyer of Russian oil.
Trump believes his legacy is to disrupt the status quo and upend the world order. Success depends on how the US economy responds and how long he is able to control the narrative. For now, the world, to paraphrase a Chinese curse, “is living in interesting times”.
Read all columns by Shankkar Aiyar
Shankkar Aiyar
Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: A Biometric History of India’s 12 Digit
Revolution, and Accidental India
(shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com)