Trump: An American Dream

I am not a Trump fan and the title is misleading. I thought this was going to be celebrating Trump but was pleasantly surprised. It is an objective look at Trump's life. I learnt some new things about Trump and his life. The image he portrays is far from the truth. Interesting how he was in big debts and was more a television personality than the calculating businessman he wants you to believe.

Netflix has also made great progress in its documentaries. They are now made with more flair and good graphics. For example the old Trump photos they showed were brought to life and enhanced well.

Anyone who's followed him over the years will know that he's always been the same. He figured out the way the world of finance worked and was given a toehold in the construction industry by his Dad. He learned how to be ruthless and learned how to deal with the sharks in the world of property development, finding out very quickly that a promise in that business is as reliable as a frayed rope.

You have to cut him some slack in his early days for the way he chased the chicks and played the tycoon, most of the guys I knew when I was that age would have been even worse because they were all piss tanks... the Donald didn't and doesn't drink.

And so this doc follows him through his flights and his crashes.

What the majority of people don't seem to realize is that these experiences made him more qualified than any lawyer or academic to run the country because he knows that you have to back up threats with consequences. He's been screwed over by the best of them in both the development and the entertainment business and has been flayed alive by the press...

Yet, he's survived it all and risen to The President's job. That's some kind of achievement, whether you like it or not and whether you like HIM or not.

Most people too,, don't realize that you can't be nice as a politician and be successful.

You have to be decisive, and sometimes ruthless, because there's always someone on the opposite side of the issue who wants it done their way and thinks their way is better. If you show any sort of indecision you'll get trampled by the herd

He has to hide these qualities and make sure he doesn't come across as an ill-tempered individual. You have to work on a reputation as a battler who likes to get things done and let them know there'll be trouble if you piss him off.

He's mostly driven by a winners and losers mentality and I don't think there's much room in his mind for things like Social Conscience.

I think it's fair to say that he can't stand idiots..... and politics is ground zero for them.

My take on him is that if you are a hardworking and responsible citizen then you'll be able to benefit from his policies.

As for his morals and his women chasing, well there's been many worse than him in public life and let he who is without sin from the great unwashed ... cast the first stone.

Quite a good series, if a little shallow but it's worth a watch if you want to understand the man's motivations a bit more.

Although I really liked the historical perspective given on Trump, the producers tipped their hand as to how they wanted to portray him by only including people who have a negative view of him. Too bad they could not just report the facts or include people who have a positive view of him...which there are millions. In the end though I think the viewer can only admire the persona of the guy as a truly American original. The good and the bad of who we are as a people!

Trump is good at what he does. He is not afraid to do the things that most of us would never dream of. He wanted to invest in New York real estate in the mid 1970's but he needed massive tax cuts to afford his property. What does he do? Hires the lawyer for the head of the five NY crime families. Suddenly - he gets the city to cut him tax breaks for seemingly any investment. That act began his momentum that would go through many highs and lows but end up as the 45th President of the United States. Love him or hate him - he is not stupid but he will most likely rip you off.

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.