The world has gone mad with excitement over Donald Trump and his new beginning. The euphoria is of the highest order. Globally, there is a mass political repainting, resulting in a suspiciously high number of newly declared Trumpists.

Most likely, the world will soon go mad because of him as well. And it wouldn’t be surprising if the actions of the new U.S. president turn out to be nothing more than a grandiose spectacle, not in the spirit of real politics, but of political show business. This applies not only to the war in Ukraine, which, contrary to his campaign promises, Trump clearly won’t be able to stop within 24 hours. However, he is making loud threats – against everyone and everything.

There is a Russian saying: “After a fight, don’t wave your fists.” Waving fists before a fight is just as pointless, but some still do it. And when they take a beating, instead of retreating with their tails between their legs, they develop what I call the Saddam Hussein Syndrome. Despite being decisively defeated in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm (1991), Saddam declared himself victorious. In modern politics, this syndrome is widespread, despite the tragic fate of its first contemporary carrier. Everyone presents themselves as a winner, regardless of the results. With his constant grandstanding, Trump will likely fall into this same trap.

Trump the Businessman
Objectively speaking, Trump has lost a substantial amount of personal wealth in legal battles (lawyers are insatiable) and election campaigns – both for the Republican nomination and, later, the presidency. In the short term, as a typical businessman, he will seek quick financial returns. The fact that major financial players have backed him is telling. This is no coincidence – greed is insatiable. The new rich surrounding the president are looking for fresh opportunities to grow their wealth.

Power is an aphrodisiac because it brings money. The greater the power, the greater the wealth. However, in today’s world, spheres of influence are already divided, and no one wants to let go of their piece of the pie. To displace entrenched financial and economic elites (the so-called “deep state”), the world must undergo radical restructuring. And this won’t happen with mere good intentions. At best, good intentions will lead to minor, short-lived political storms – like storms in a teacup. What’s needed are sweeping, sharp actions driven by the pursuit of super-profits.

A superficial glance reveals that Trumpists see the most immediate and easy profits in resource-rich, untouched Greenland. Trump’s blatant appetite for the island may seem odd, given its long-standing ties to the U.S. However, naturally separating Greenland from Denmark’s control is a slow and painful process, one that would exceed the four-year term of the current (2025) American president. Hence, Trump and his circle are rushing to “open up the land” (as he puts it) – both in general and in Greenland specifically.

The exploitation of the Panama Canal also offers lucrative opportunities for quick and easy profits. Bringing it under American control wouldn’t pose significant challenges – aside from potential resistance from China, which has controlled the two ports adjacent to the canal for 25 years. These ports handle a massive portion of U.S. trade.

As for Canada and the idea of renaming the Gulf of Mexico the American Gulf, these are just distractions – fodder for naive audiences who dream of a revived Monroe Doctrine (1823). In truth, this doctrine never ceased to function, and none of those affected – then or now – have any real intention of opposing it. Complaints will be limited to powerless whining directed at equally powerless international institutions. Trump’s ideas for the region are typical populist rhetoric, unlikely to be realized in the foreseeable future.

Trump’s European Challenge
Trump has shaken the U.S.-dominated European alliance by demanding that European nations spend significantly more on their own defense. His stated goal is to relieve the burden on the American budget. However, he and his advisers seem unaware that this contradicts the core principle of Trumpism: Make America Great Again (MAGA). A strong America – both domestically and globally – is an interconnected process. American isolationism has long been dead.

MAGA may sound inspiring, but first, America was already great before Trump. Second, and more importantly, by attempting to cut spending on Europe and global affairs to focus on domestic issues, Trump unwittingly undermines U.S. power and influence. If the U.S. forces its European vassals to arm themselves, they may eventually develop the confidence to defend their own independence – including from the U.S. In the short term, reducing American contributions to NATO will lead to a gradual decrease in the U.S. military presence in Europe – which is the foundation of American hegemony. That’s dialectics in action!

The preparation for war is one of the strongest mechanisms driving financial and economic growth. Therefore, Europe has no reason to shed bitter tears. In the short term, forcing European nations to fund their own military development may worsen social conditions. However, in the long run, it will lead to their gradual liberation from foreign (and self-serving) oversight. Freedom has its price!

The Pragmatism of Trumpism
Trumpists may be enchanted by MAGA, but they also chase immediate financial and political dividends. What they fail to grasp is that maintaining power requires enormous financial resources. Historically, the inability to sustain colonial expenses led to the decline of colonial empires in the 20th century.

Trump himself is pragmatic. In the long run, he aims to take control of Ukraine’s natural resources – never mind that Volodymyr Zelenskyy resists for now. However, he is not the only stakeholder. Many other parties have vested interests.

Additionally, Trump (while speaking on behalf of the U.S.) wants to position himself as a “guarantor” – whatever that means – in Gaza. In other words, he envisions the former French-British condominium (joint administration) becoming an American possession. As a businessman and real estate developer, he sees the Eastern Mediterranean as the next Riviera. If he succeeds, he will overshadow all other Mediterranean coastal resorts.

Trump seems to have learned from the failed French-British governance of Gaza. His plan? To relocate two million Palestinians. A utopian idea, given the staunch opposition from Palestinians and neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, which would be expected to absorb these displaced people.

From across the ocean, the U.S. would be the formal colonial power in the Eastern Mediterranean, limiting its role to large-scale financial operations. The de facto ruler would be Israel. Trump is unwilling to spend money on unnecessary military-political administration, especially abroad.

This is why Benjamin Netanyahu was ecstatic about Trump’s “guarantee” for Gaza – so much so that he could barely conceal his gleeful anticipation. The Israeli prime minister envisions not only territorial expansion, cleansed of Palestinians but also huge financial gains from such a grand project. Compared to this, his corruption scandals in Israel would seem trivial.

The Myth of the “Trump Revolution”
Trump’s grand plans for Ukraine and Gaza extend far beyond his four-year term. But what matters is who gets the lion’s share first. And Trump, ever the businessman, understands the stakes. After all, once the feast begins, who cares if they bite his legs off afterward?

For Trump’s so-called “revolution,” there are no real preconditions. Eventually, the euphoria will fade, and he will be forced to abandon his theatrical bravado. Of course, he’ll mask this retreat with Saddam Hussein Syndrome.

But history shows that American presidents have often launched dramatic, sweeping policies at the start of their terms. Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, introduced the New Deal in his first 100 days, aimed at combating the Great Depression. However, the reality is that the U.S. economy was already recovering, and Roosevelt’s policies were more propaganda than substance.

In the end, what made America great was not Roosevelt’s economic reforms but U.S. dominance during and after World War II. Trump, too, may dream of making America great – but only time will tell if his ambitions are just another illusion.