Host Gene Valitis and guest Jon Liedtke discuss Donald Trump’s evolving self-perception, noting his private comparisons from America’s Founding Fathers to Abraham Lincoln, and now to historical conquerors like Napoleon and Alexander the Great. They explore the “Trumpification” of America through branded merchandise and monuments, shattering norms, and the geopolitical risks of Trump’s unconventional presidency.
Transcript (Gemini Generated):
Gene Valitis: Jon Liedtke is joining us this morning to tell stories only the way… only the way Jon can. Hey, good morning, Jon.
Jon Liedtke: Good morning, Gene.
Gene Valitis: Did you hear my conversation that I was having with Dave? I’m watching this news conference with Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense—or as he likes to call it, the Secretary of War. And again, I’m not making this up, Alex and I are trying to find the clip on Twitter. A reporter for the Daily Wire seriously asked him and a four-star US general: “Is it true that Iran has kamikaze dolphins?”
Jon Liedtke: Gene, I was prepping for this segment with you and I had that on the screen. And when I heard it, I did a spit-take of my coffee. Because I was trying to figure out, like, is this as dumb as it sounds? And then he goes on to, you know, say that he won’t confirm or deny that they have it… kind of a funny lie.
Gene Valitis: Which I thought was great. Which I thought was great. Jeez, what’s going on, man? Well, you know what I figured out? If… it’s probably not true, but do you not agree with me, “Kamikaze Dolphins”—is that not the best name for a rock band?
Jon Liedtke: Oh, yeah! That sounds like it’d be a really good, like, surf rock band.
Gene Valitis: Exactly. Hey, well listen, you passed along this really good article to me the other day from The Atlantic, and it’s all about our favorite orange man, Donald Trump. And in the article, it seems as if Trump is no longer comparing himself to people like Lincoln or Washington; he’s now mentioning himself privately alongside Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar and Napoleon. Now, is this just a branding exercise, or are we really looking at a guy who views himself as a worldly historical figure above the law?
Jon Liedtke: Oh yeah, absolutely. It’s the latter in this case. But why wouldn’t he? He’s an incredibly wealthy man, he’s made billions off the presidency, he has a party that’s still loyal to him. Arguably every president is, you know, the world’s free leader, and you wouldn’t expect, though, this type of talk from someone who carries the nuclear codes around with them every day. You would hope for a little bit more humbleness to recognize the greatness of the actual position. It is genuinely concerning to hear about this musing, but it’s clear that he is looking towards his lasting legacy and he doesn’t want all of it to be torn down by the Democrats.
Gene Valitis: You talk about the Hegel connection. Now, I know he was a German philosopher, but what’s that all about?
Jon Liedtke: Yeah, this is really interesting. It talks about the theory of “Great Men” who shatter norms to move history forward. Trump does see himself as that. I mean, look at the things that he does. He’s abducted world leaders, he’s starting Middle East engagements without any talk about it prior to. He uses tariffs as weapons against every country that he’s allies with—and typically in times not against the ones that he’s not allies with. So no, he definitely sees himself as a Great Man world leader who is shattering norms. And he is shattering norms: social norms, physical norms, political norms, professional norms. This is a guy who lives on his own accord. And I don’t mean this to be flattering about him, either.
Gene Valitis: No. Let’s talk about the physical legacy, or the “Trumpification” of America. We just learned the other day that his likeness is going to be on some passports… real estate, we know about that on buildings… he wants national monuments named after him… he probably wants the new ballroom named after him… and it just goes on and on and on.
Jon Liedtke: This is a man who is very afraid, as I just mentioned, that his legacy will be torn down—quite physically, not just spiritually or politically. He is recognizing that his numbers are tanking. He’s entered into quagmires with the Middle East-Iran conflict. That’s causing a massive spike in gas prices at home that is only going to continue to increase. World alliances aren’t fracturing, but we’re watching Mark Carney go off to the European Union and try to create new, stronger alliances over there. So yeah, no, this “Trumpification” of America is a very real thing, but it’s really concerning.
Gene Valitis: I love those ads where he tries to sell his new Trump watches, and the other one is the Trump Bible that he personally autographed—like as if he’s Jesus.
Jon Liedtke: Yeah, and you know what’s interesting that you bring that up? Because the Trump brand is probably the only successful thing that Trump actually has, which is why he’s slapping his face on absolutely everything to make sure that it continues in permanence. All of his businesses have failed, whether it be Trump Steaks, or Trump Airlines, or the Trump Organization. Trump is the only thing that has lasted it.
Gene Valitis: Here’s a good question for you. Now, a president can only serve two terms, so he can’t run for office again. So the fact that he can’t run—does this make him more effective or more dangerous?
Jon Liedtke: I think it is more dangerous because it’s not going to be a traditional lame-duck presidency who abides by any norms. We’re in fact seeing that it’s escalating. So unless the midterms go really poorly, I don’t see him course-correcting, because I don’t see how he as a man personally can, you know, actually pull out of Iran right now and let them have a strategic win. Everything with him is a fight or retribution.
Gene Valitis: So what’s his immortal legacy?
Jon Liedtke: The shattering of political norms… an undoing of an economic structure globally that is increasingly isolating from the United States… a shattering of the norms just generally that we have seen in politics. It’s… I find it concerning, the damage that he has done to the body politic. And it’s not just him, and it’s not just Republicans either. Everyone is just so crass and cruel, and social media and dopamine hits are only fueling it. I don’t know what the way out is going to be before it gets worse.
Gene Valitis: In a hundred years, I think he just wants people to remember his name, not any sort of a legacy.
Jon Liedtke: I agree with you on that. 100 percent.
Gene Valitis: I don’t think anyone’s forgetting it.
Jon Liedtke: No, you’re absolutely, absolutely right. Especially if they put him on Mount Rushmore and, you know, he probably wants to be on the $20 bill and it’s just neverending. But we only have three more years of him.
Gene Valitis: Only… only. Okay, perfect. Thank you. And thanks for this morning. Always… it’s always great to get your take on things.
Jon Liedtke: Cheers, Gene.
Gene Valitis: All right, there he goes, Jon Liedtke. Great storyteller.
This aired on 610 CKTB
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