Will flattery get you everywhere with Donald Trump? Billionaires are determined to find out | Arwa Mahdawi

The US has been for sale to the highest bidder for some time, while democracy dies in plain sight. The difference now? How shamelessly transactional the incoming president is

Reader, I was wrong. So terribly wrong. It pains me to admit this but, back in the distant past (last year), I wrote some very nasty things about Donald Trump and his family. Now that I am older and wiser I realise how misguided this was. So let me set the record straight: the incoming president is an exceptionally handsome man with an incredibly high IQ. We are all blessed that this very stable genius has taken time out of his busy golfing schedule to lead the free world to prosperity.

What do you reckon … was I sycophantic enough or do I need to lay the flattery on even thicker? I’m asking because, as you’ve no doubt noticed, genuflecting to the uber-transactional Trump is ramping up now that inauguration day is approaching. Business leaders are breaking records with the amount of money they’re dumping into Trump’s inaugural fund. “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in December.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Topics

‘Get out if you want to live’: Man describes moments he evacuated his car

NBC News' Gadi Schwartz spoke with Adam Handler, a Los Angeles resident who had to evacuate and leave his car behind after an officer warned that they need to "get out if they want to live." ...
NBC News - 12h
Trump won't rule out using military to get Panama Canal

President-elect Trump on Tuesday refused to commit to not using the U.S. military to gain control of the Panama Canal, after vowing last month to take over operation of the key passageway. Trump ...
The Hill - 21h
Donald Trump is walking into a slew of trials and tribulations

When Donald Trump takes the oath of office for the second time in two weeks, he will face a nearly impossible task of governing effectively.
The Hill - 1d
I tried ‘intermittent sobriety’. Here’s what I learned jumping on and off the wagon | Arwa Mahdawi

While this is by no means health advice, these are a few things I’ve found helpful in case you’re also feeling sober curious. ’Tis the season to drink far too much and then vow that, next year, ...
The Guardian - 2d
John Bolton: For Donald Trump, the Only Loyalty Is Fealty

Neither kings nor presidents, nor their countries, are well served if they are surrounded by sycophants and rent-seekers.
The New York Times - 3d
How Mike Johnson pulled out a 2nd term as House speaker -- with Donald Trump's help

Mike Johnson secured the gavel in dramatic fashion, as he was on track to lose before two Republican defectors changed their vote after speaking to Donald Trump.
ABC News - 3d
The Baldoni-Lively legal battle seems a depressing re-run of Depp v Heard | Arwa Mahdawi

The It Ends With US wrangling is becoming increasingly nasty – we live in a world where the powerful can ‘bury’ their enemies. First, a mea culpa . Last year I wrote a critical piece about the ...
The Guardian - 4d
January 6 was part of an attempted coup d’etat in America. Don’t let Trump and his allies tell you otherwise | Arwa Mahdawi

Four years on, it’s the most astounding case of collective amnesia. That so many seem willing to normalise that anti-democratic outrage is frightening. The sun shone brightly on 6 January 2021. The ...
The Guardian - 5d
Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and the Honor of the American Military

Donald Trump’s foreign policy may not be as disastrous as that of George W. Bush, whose idealism and hubris led to calamity, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be corrosive.
The New York Times - 5d

More from The Guardian

France warns Donald Trump against threatening EU ‘sovereign borders’

Foreign minister hits out after US president-elect refuses to rule out military action to take control of Greenland. France has warned Donald Trump against threatening the “sovereign borders” of ...
The Guardian - 3h
EU Commission urged to act over Elon Musk’s ‘interference’ in elections

MEPs say enforcement of Digital Services Acts has been ‘too slow’, as Musk plans livestream with German far-right politician. The EU executive has been “too slow” in enforcing a major law intended ...
The Guardian - 2h
California wildfires live: most extreme conditions expected today as more than 1,400 firefighters tackle numerous blazes

California’s governor says emergency services are ‘all hands on deck’ as number of wildfires rises. Los Angeles residents continue to flee fires as stronger winds forecast Explainer: the Santa ...
The Guardian - 15m
Facebook is ushering in a ‘world without facts’, says Nobel peace prize winner

Maria Ressa says ‘dangerous times ahead’ for journalism and democracy after Meta’s move to end factchecking in US. The Nobel peace prize winner Maria Ressa has said Meta’s decision to end ...
The Guardian - 59m
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala freed from detention in Iran

Sala, who had been detained since 19 December, is flying home, Italian PM’s office says. Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist detained in solitary confinement in Iran, has been freed and is heading ...
The Guardian - 2h

More in World

Keir Starmer ‘open-minded’ about new inquiry on child grooming gangs, No 10 says, but wants to prioritise action – UK politics live

Prime minister told Commons any new inquiry into child abuse would delay progress however spokesperson says he has not ruled one out. Reform UK has also tabled a reasoned amendment to the ...
The Guardian - 7m
Gazans React to Trump’s Comments About Hostages

President-elect Donald J. Trump said “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if hostages captured in the Hamas-led attacks were not freed before he takes office.
The New York Times - 12m
France Far-Right Party Embraces Jean-Marie Le Pen as a Visionary

For years, the far-right National Rally tried to distance itself from Mr. Le Pen’s racist and antisemitic remarks. But after his death Tuesday, it hailed him as a visionary.
The New York Times - 12m
Biden may preemptively pardon Liz Cheney, Anthony Fauci, after Trump’s threats of revenge – US politics live

Biden confirms he may still opt to protect Trump’s enemies from prosecution, while Trump scrambles to halt sentencing in criminal business fraud case. Attorneys for Donald Trump this morning ...
The Guardian - 14m
California wildfires live: most extreme conditions expected today as more than 1,400 firefighters tackle numerous blazes

California’s governor says emergency services are ‘all hands on deck’ as number of wildfires rises. Los Angeles residents continue to flee fires as stronger winds forecast Explainer: the Santa ...
The Guardian - 15m