According to Michael Wolff, an American journalist and author known for his trilogy on Trump’s presidency, Trump is seeking a second term in the Oval Office to possibly duck jail time.
According to Wolff, Trump’s primary motivation for seeking re-election is to avoid legal troubles — Trump has been convicted of nearly 35 criminal charges and has been ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in various civil suits.
“He wants to win because, for one reason, that’s probably the only way he will stay out of jail,” Wolff said.
He further said Trump’s pursuit of the presidency is also driven by his desire to remain a prominent figure. “His basic interest is being Donald Trump, the most famous man in the world,” Wolff explained. “He has to be either the president or running for president to maintain that status.”
Family Dynamics and Campaign Involvement
Trump’s relationship with his immediate family is certainly an odd one — his wife Melania appears to have little love for him, while daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, who both served at the White House during Trump 1.0, have largely been absent from the campaign trail.
“His wife’s first campaign appearance on his behalf was just the other day, six days from the election. It’s always been quite unclear where she lives.” This absence raises questions about the nature of their relationship. “Are you really married in fact, or is it an arrangement?” Wolff wondered.
Similarly, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have distanced themselves. “They have kept their distance from Trump. It seems like his wife, you might infer, is shunning him,” Wolff noted.
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Foreign Relations and Image Management
Trump’s first term was marked by his trigger-happy Twitter-finger. Trump would govern by tweet rather than decree — a move that has put him at loggerheads with some foreign leaders and also allowed him to get cosy with those he liked or admired, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the campaign trail, Trump has claimed he could end the Ukraine-Russia conflict swiftly. On speculation on whether this was because of Trump’s perceived close ties with Putin, Wolff expressed scepticism: “There’s been an enormous amount of suspicion about the Trump-Putin relationship, but we don’t know,” Wolff said, adding that Trump’s focus is more on maintaining an image of unpredictability. “The idea that there would be no wars if Trump were president because other leaders would be afraid is part of the image he likes to project.”.
Elon Musk and the X-Factor
The blossoming relationship between Trump and the world’s richest man Elon Musk was the cause for much mirth and concern. While Musk’s and Trump’s antics have provided fodder for comedians, it has also sparked concerns about the incredible amounts of money Musk has been shovelling towards Trump and the influence it could buy the maverick billionaire.
Wolff said Trump has made numerous promises to various individuals, often off-the-cuff, including the idea of an “efficiency commission” supposedly involving Musk. However, Wolff dismissed this as a non-existent entity, suggesting it was more of a spontaneous promise than a concrete plan.
Wolff speculated that Musk might have his own agenda, seeking a favourable business environment through his support for Trump. He noted, “Elon Musk has an agenda. He wants something,” implying that Musk’s significant financial contributions to Trump are likely tied to personal ambitions. Wolff also touched on the dynamic between the two powerful figures, stating, “Both men, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, see themselves as kind of king of the world.”
This equation raises questions about whether there is room for two such dominant personalities in Trump’s orbit. Wolff predicted that Musk’s relationship with Trump might eventually sour, suggesting, “Elon Musk will depart his love for Donald Trump in tears at some point.”
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