politics
April 3, 2026
Donald Trump is the ageing patriarch of a decaying order
Geriatric US presidents are a symptom of a failing political order, says Dr Georgios Samaras, while Jim Hatley wonders who would take over if the present incumbent is replaced
TL;DR
- Concerns about Donald Trump's age and judgment are valid but late.
- American politics has a history of recycling elderly men as leaders.
- The presidency has become a screen for a failing political order to project fantasies of rescue.
- Absurdity in a leader's performance can be part of their appeal.
- Trump is seen as the aging patriarch of a decaying political order, not an exception.
- The system has repeatedly elevated figures like Trump, then mythologized them.
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