Trump: An American Dream is a documentary mini-series that attempts a serious look at Donald J. Trump, but ultimately does little more than rehash what has been known about him for close to 40 years of being in the public conscience.
He's shown to have a massive ego.
He's shown to be petty.
He's shown to be a womanizer.
He's shown to be dismissive of factual criticism, and will ad hominem instead of face the facts.
He's shown to have a firm belief in himself.
None of what this docu-series focuses on is anything new. And yet, there are a couple things which were mentioned in passing, but could have provided more an in-depth look at the man and been a much more interesting character study.
The first is the relationship he had with his father. Yes, Fred Trump built buildings too, but not to show off wealth or even buy his way into the upper crust of the New York City social scene. He built apartments that, for an increasingly expensive city to live in, were much more affordable. I was left wondering if Donald Trump actually had this drive to outdo his father, or perhaps a better question, go where his father didn't want to? I think if that question were to be answered, we'd all have a much better understanding of the man Donald Trump.
The second thing that was brought up briefly, but not pursued further, was even his closest and perhaps most trusted friends said they weren't sure what his beliefs actually are, if in fact he has any at all. For someone who has cast himself as a political outsider and found an appeal to a wide range of people, to latch onto someone that might not believe in anything is very fascinating to me. Except this was not pursued at all, only hinted at, in this docu-series.
Overall, it's just another thing that exists that will confirm whatever bias one has about Donald Trump. However, it could have been so much more.
