The Trumpian worldview
Politics is emotional. It is not always about rational problem-solving but about shaping the way people see the world. Leaders like Hitler, Trump, and Duterte gain loyalty not necessarily by delivering results but by reinforcing their followers’ perceptions—of their problems, enemies, and place in the world.
These politicians do not just sell a worldview; they also present themselves as the only ones who can fix what is wrong. Trump, the self-proclaimed master of the deal, claims he alone can restore America’s greatness—implying that the country has lost it. He explains the decline and suggests how America can recover its strength.
Trump blames past administrations for the country’s failures. He scapegoats diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, claiming they lead to unqualified hires, including air traffic controllers. “Wokeness is bad,” he declares, equating it with weakness and waste. He rejects America’s identity as a modern immigrant society, pushing a simpler worldview: only two genders, only one language—English.
Worldviews like these are difficult to disprove. The simpler they are, the more persuasive they seem. People cling to ideas that confirm their beliefs and dismiss facts that contradict them—what psychologists call confirmation bias or, sometimes, “myside bias.” But policies based on these simplistic views have complex consequences.
One of the most significant consequences of Trump’s worldview is its impact on global stability. He sees America’s allies as freeloaders. Nato, which has upheld US power in Europe for 76 years, is a “parasite,” he says, and should pay for its own defense. “If they don’t pay, I won’t defend them,” implying that the alliance’s security agreement is non-reciprocal. French President Emmanuel Macron has quickly checked him on this: “The Europeans were there when we were called for Afghanistan. They weren’t politely warned when (the US left Afghanistan). We are loyal and faithful allies.”
The same logic was at work when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House. Why should America continue to fund Ukraine’s war, Trump asked, when so many had already died? His message was blunt: Accept a ceasefire with Russia because “you’re holding no cards.” It was a humiliating moment for Zelensky,y, who found himself fighting not just for Ukraine’s sovereignty but for its dignity.
Trump’s trade policies follow the same pattern. He accuses Canada and Mexico of exploiting the US economy. In response, he imposed a 25 percent tariff on their goods, demanding they reciprocate America’s generosity by cracking down on border trafficking. Economists warned these tariffs would raise prices for US consumers, and American carmakers pleaded for a reversal, citing higher production costs. The policy was so poorly thought out that, after just one day, Trump suspended it until April 2.
This worldview also explains Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization. He rejects the idea that America has global responsibilities. That’s why he shut down USAID, cutting off programs that had long been key to US influence abroad while alleviating the consequences of mass poverty worldwide.
Vice President JD Vance, a recent Catholic convert, gives Trump’s views a religious justification. In a Fox News interview, he cited “ordo amoris (order of love),” saying, “You love your family first, then your community, then your fellow citizens, and only after that, the rest of the world.”
This misapplication of a theological concept was so troubling that Pope Francis felt compelled to respond. In a rare official letter to the American bishops, the Pope reminded them of the true “ordo amoris.” Ever so subtly but powerfully, the Pope wrote: “The true ordo amoris that it is necessary to promote, is the one we discover meditating constantly on the parable of the Good Samaritan, that is, meditating on the love that builds an open fraternity to all without exception.”
Trump’s worldview is simple and emotionally compelling. To him, it’s plain common sense. But the world is not simple, and the consequences of his policies are real. They reshape alliances, economies, and even the moral priorities that have underpinned a rules-based global order. In the long run, they will only make America weaker and more isolated—and humanity more divided and less capable of tackling global problems.
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