George Packer on Trump

New Yorker writer George Packer’s book „The Unwinding“ describes the gradual economic and, more importantly, moral decline of the United States. It is perhaps the most astute book about the country’s condition today. Sitting at Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, Packer says that Trump now exhibits several of the characteristics of a fascist.

In the past, as a reality TV star, Trump had to come across as somewhat likeable, says Packer. But now that he is playing the fascist, he suddenly resembles one, with his grim face, his pursed lips and the threatening and intimidating look in his eyes.

It’s no accident that Trump expresses great admiration for Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, who seems to impress him far more than politicians seeking to champion the values of democracy with their painstaking and often vain search for compromises.

„He is a nicer person than I am,“ Trump said of the Russian president. „In terms of leadership, he’s getting an A.“ The reason, according to Trump, is that Putin is „making mincemeat out of our president.“

—Der Spiegel, February 1, 2016