The ‘Great Man’ Presidency
The article examines how Donald Trump is increasingly portraying himself as a historic, larger-than-life leader by placing his image on official items like a proposed 250th-anniversary passport and altering White House spaces with personal symbols. It suggests that Trump sees himself in the lineage of transformative, authoritarian figures such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon, which may explain his focus on grand projects over conventional political priorities. This shift in self-perception, the piece argues, influences both his domestic actions and foreign policy decisions, often at odds with typical political calculations.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Radio AtlanticThe ‘Great Man’ PresidencyIs Donald Trump reading Hegel?By Hanna RosinAlex Brandon / GettyApril 30, 2026, 8 AM ET ShareSave Listen−1.0x+Seek0:0029:26Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Overcast | Pocket CastsThis week, the State Department released a mock-up of a new limited-edition passport designed to commemorate America’s 250th birthday. Previews show it including John Trumbull’s famous image of the presentation of the Declaration of Independence, but the image is small and crowded, so you can’t really make out any individual Founding Father.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Atlantic.
