Trump’s Dictator Fetish: Power, Praise, and Foreign Destruction
From Gaza to Iran, Trump’s foreign policy isn’t strategic—it’s self-worship wrapped in bombs and photo ops.
Ego at the Center of Foreign Policy
Before Trump bombed three sites in Iran, I was drafting a post about his obsession with billionaire dictators. That post is still necessary—because the same pathology that drove him to order those strikes is what has shaped every foreign policy decision he’s made: flattery over alliances, ego over strategy, showmanship over substance.
Trump fawns over Gulf monarchs and strongmen, while abandoning long-standing allies like Ukraine. Every decision, every Truth Social rant, every meeting with a foreign leader is driven —not by national interest—but by a severely malignant narcissist’s bottomless need for attention and dominance.
Zelensky vs. Putin: No Ego Feed, No Support
Trump has made it clear: if a foreign leader doesn’t offer personal benefits—praise, gifts, spectacle—they’re disposable. When President Zelensky came to the White House, Trump humiliated him. Without warning, he began signaling support for Russia instead. 1
This wasn’t geopolitical strategy. It was gaslighting at an Orwellian level, meant to steer his MAGA base toward a pro-Russia stance.
Zelensky couldn’t offer Trump anything for his ego. But Putin? The richest man in the world, the architect of an authoritarian plutocracy—that’s exactly who Trump wants to be.2
And the flattery may not be all. There’s something almost coerced in the way Trump praises Putin, as if he knows resistance would cost him more than just admiration.
Middle East Tour: The Authoritarian Red Carpet
Just like his first term, Trump’s first overseas trip this time was to the Middle East—where he was pampered, praised, and manipulated.
In the UAE, Emirati firm G42 struck a deal to build an AI campus in the U.S. with access to our Library of Congress and patents. 3 In a conveniently timed move, Trump immediately fired and replaced the Librarian of Congress—effectively handing the patent office to an unqualified loyalist.4
What could possibly go wrong when a foreign-owned AI firm gets access to our intellectual infrastructure? In return, Trump was awarded the Order of Zayed—UAE’s highest civilian honor. 5
Not a bad trade for them.
In Saudi Arabia, Trump struck a weapons deal that could arm extremist factions, while Saudi company DataVolt pledged $20 billion for energy and AI infrastructure in the U.S. 6 This undercut any pretense of being the “jobs” president—offshoring profits, weakening unions, and handing over critical infrastructure to a foreign regime.
In Qatar, Trump was gifted a gaudy, oversized Boeing 747—an aircraft the Qatari government had been trying to offload for over a decade. This gift flagrantly violated the Emoluments Clause, but the Republican Congress remained silent.
U.S. taxpayers now face the bill to retrofit the plane with communications gear and national security protections that will cost billions and take years. 7
Gaza: Bombs, Beaches, and Business
Why does Trump allow U.S. bombs to destroy Gaza?
He’s not known for empathy. But he is known for beachfront greed.
Gaza was once a serene coastal region. 8 In February 2024, Jared Kushner told a Harvard audience that “Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable.” 9 In a 2025 meeting with Netanyahu, Trump echoed that vision, describing Gaza as a “phenomenal location” for a resort—“a Riviera of the Middle East.” 10
In May Trump Labeled Gaza a “freedom zone,” 11 and advocated deporting all its inhabitants. In turn, “Israel's far-right government has embraced Trump’s idea to displace Palestinians permanently outside the territory and turn it into a seaside real-estate development.” They have been destroying the infrastructure and driving out the residents by denying them food, water, and health care.
So, while Netanyahu may not be a billionaire, he’s playing the game—dangling resort dreams and high-value property speculation in exchange for support. Trump’s bombs clear the land. His son-in-law imagines the profits. The rest of the world sees the genocide.
Iran: Performance Over Policy
Trump’s Iran strikes weren’t based on an imminent threat. Intelligence agencies confirmed that diplomacy was still viable. But instead of heeding advice from the Pentagon and State Department, Trump opted for what he believed a “legacy-defining” moment. 12
He dismissed a key intelligence assessment delivered to Congress in March by Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard: ”…Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.” 13 When reporters confronted Trump with that statement, he dismissed it out of hand.
“She’s wrong,” he said—willing to discredit his own intelligence chief rather than let anything undermine his show of strength
Historian Timothy Snyder, lauded historian and author of On Tyranny, says Trump views power as performance. He needs parades. He needs bombs. He needs applause. 14
He ignores policy, and embraces theater. Dangerous, deadly theater.
Project 2025 and the Dictator’s Club
This behavior isn’t rogue anymore. It’s backed by a plan.
Project 2025—a far-right blueprint for the next Trump term—calls for the consolidation of executive power, dismantling civil service protections, and reorienting the entire government under a “unitary” president. (Read: Mad Mother 5/19/25 Project 2025: A Manual for the Unmaking of American Democracy )
The Supreme Court is cooperating. Congress, now Republican-controlled, is enabling. 15 In Donald Trump, they found the perfect patsy to help create their plutocracy (Read: Mad Mother 5/13/25: Plutocrats and Kings of Cash: The System Devouring Democracy )
Foreign strongmen recognize this new reality. They know they don’t need to negotiate with the U.S.—just with Trump. All it takes is a medal, a contract, a plane, or a promise of beachfront property. In return, they get influence over U.S. infrastructure, weapons, and alliances.
And Trump gets the illusion of belonging to the club he’s always envied: the billionaire autocrats’ inner circle.
Conclusion: What America Loses When Trump Plays King
Trump governs through ego, not interest. The world sees it. Our allies know it. Our enemies exploit it.
He abandoned Ukraine. He destroyed Gaza. He bombed Iran to feel powerful. He gave away our national security to whoever praised him the loudest. And, as long as Project 2025 and its enablers keep him insulated from consequence, he’ll keep doing it.
The cost isn’t just global instability. It is the demise of America’s reputation. It’s the loss of America’s soul.
This isn’t just Trump’s pathology—it’s a crisis of governance. Our country is being reshaped around one man’s insecurities and ambitions. If we don’t push back now, we won’t just lose our reputation. We’ll lose our republic.
Just insanity run amok.
Well done!