door Jan van der Putten
Donald Trump is one of a kind—or so we think. Yet he has more than one predecessor. Take Silvio Berlusconi, for example. The similarities are striking. In terms of charisma and narcissism, the Italian was barely outdone by the American. Berlusconi regularly looked at himself in the mirror and said three times in a row: “I think I’m amazing.” He saw himself as Jesus Christ, performing miracles for those who believed in him. Trump also suffers from religious delusions: shortly before the last conclave, he used AI to present himself as the new pope. This content is for members only. Please log in to view.
Jan van der Putten is schrijver en journalist. Hij was onder meer correspondent in China. Zijn laatste boek is Tijd van illusies: Mijn kleine geschiedenis van de wereld, verschenen bij Querido Facto.
