Trump’s week that was: the week that revealed the man behind the menace

Introduction

Hardly a day goes by without Donald Trump worming his way to the top of the news cycle – his natural habitat. He doesn’t need to try; his sheer audacity (read: outrageous, dangerous, or clinically stupid antics) is a self-sustaining spectacle. Love him or loathe him – and let’s be honest, you loathe him – you can’t look away.

That’s why I’m launching this weekly* column: “Trump’s Week That Was.” Why? Three reasons:

1. American politics is our readers’ guilty pleasure, and Trump is the Kardashian of the bunch – except with worse wigs and higher stakes.

2. Our site analytics don’t lie: A solid 20% of you clicking this are from the U.S., hungry for takes that don’t soft-pedal the madness.

3. Someone’s got to chronicle the chaos – before historians (or psychiatrists) have to do it retroactively.

So here’s your first installment:

Another week, another masterclass in unmatched audacity. Whether he’s taking from the poor, gifting to the rich, or casually eroding democracy between golf swings, Trump remains the omnipotent strongman.

The Harvard Ban: The Insecure Boy in the Boardroom

Trump signed an executive order this week barring foreign students from attending the elite Harvard University, citing security concerns. The move sparked immediate backlash, with some calling it “xenophobic and economically shortsighted,” noting that Harvard’s international students contribute $385 million annually into the local economy.

Trump’s barring foreign students reeks of petty vengeance – the act of a man who bought his way into Wharton and now punishes an institution that allegedly rejected his son. His war on ‘elites’ isn’t ideology; it’s the tantrum of a lifelong outsider who craved their validation and got rejected. So he burns their temples down.

The Fake Photos: Reality as Plaything

Trump’s meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took a bizarre turn when he presented photos he claimed showed “South African atrocities.” However, Reuters confirmed this week that the images were not from South Africa at all – they depicted violence in a completely different country – the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Key Details:

• The photos were part of Trump’s effort to pressure Ramaphosa over political unrest and land reform policies in South Africa.
• Ramaphosa’s team reportedly challenged the images on the spot, but Trump dismissed their objections.
• This follows a pattern of Trump using misleading or fabricated visuals in high-stakes meetings (e.g., altered hurricane maps, misrepresented crowd sizes).

Presenting fabricated ‘evidence’ to South Africa’s president wasn’t just malpractice – it was the act of a man who treats truth like a subordinate. The same boy who invented ‘John Barron’ to inflate his ego now invents atrocities to strong-arm foreign leaders. For Trump, facts aren’t stubborn things; they’re toys to break when he’s bored.

The Qatar Jet: Daddy’s Little Grifter

In a heartwarming display of diplomatic gratitude, Trump accepted a $400 million Boeing 747 gift from Qatar – a “gift” so brazen it makes his crypto scam look like petty cash.

But the jet isn’t just a gift; it’s a shrine to Trump’s only moral code: Money equals worth. The boy who worshipped his father’s cutthroat deals now:

• Turns statecraft into a side hustle
• Measures his value in gaudy trophies (gold toilets, gold jets, gold-plated lies)
• And treats ethical norms like speed bumps – annoyances for lesser men.

While foreign gifts to U.S. officials must be disclosed and often go to the National Archives, Trump has a history of blurring personal and presidential benefits.

It’s not corruption to Trump – it’s just business as usual, the only language he has ever respected.

The Medicaid Cuts: Punishing the Weak

The White House recently proposed a budget that slashes $500 billion from Medicaid over the next decade, branding it as “welfare reform.” Health experts are sounding alarms, warning that these cuts could strip healthcare coverage from roughly 15 million Americans, hitting low-income families, disabled individuals, and elderly nursing home residents the hardest. This move lays bare a stark contradiction: after vowing to protect the vulnerable (no cuts to Medicaid), the administration’s priorities seem to favour the powerful.

This policy isn’t fiscal responsibility – it’s class warfare. Trump’s worldview is simple: Reward the strong, punish the weak, and call it ‘winning.’ For him, stripping healthcare from 15 million isn’t a tragedy; it’s a spreadsheet line to offset tax cuts for billionaires. The bully who admires Putin and Kim Jong Un was never going to protect the vulnerable. He just plays one on Fox News.

Principled Indignation

The past seven days have offered a particularly stark example of how Donald Trump operates – combining xenophobic policymaking, diplomatic malpractice, and blatant self-enrichment into what might be called “The Trump Trifecta.”

This wasn’t just a bad week – it was a perfect snapshot of Trumpism:

• Scapegoating (foreign students)
• Lying (fake photos)
• Grifting (Qatar jet)
• Betraying (Medicaid)

Each act serves the same goal – consolidating power by any means necessary, facts and ethics be damned.

Trump’s legacy won’t be measured in laws passed, but in norms shattered, truths gaslit into oblivion, and lives dismissed as ‘costs of doing business.’ This week was no aberration – just four more entries in the ledger of a man who treats democracy like a buffet, gorging on power and leaving the bill for others to pay.

*Dependent on a steady flow of newsworthy outrageousness, stupidity, or lunacy.

Dear reader, we need your support

Independent sites such as The AIMN provide a platform for public interest journalists. From its humble beginning in January 2013, The AIMN has grown into one of the most trusted and popular independent media organisations.

One of the reasons we have succeeded has been due to the support we receive from our readers through their financial contributions.

With increasing costs to maintain The AIMN, we need this continued support.

Your donation – large or small – to help with the running costs of this site will be greatly appreciated.

You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969