Saving face How Donald Trump silenced the people who could expose his business failures

[NastyRiffraff]

How did Donald Trump, a self-serving promoter who lost billions of dollars for his investors, convince the world that he is a financial genius? It wasn’t just by fabricating tales of his success. It was also by bullying and silencing people who could have stopped those deceits — particularly reporters and Wall Street analysts — forcing all but a very few into a conspiracy of silence.

These tactics, which form a core element of his politics, were something I saw him hone firsthand in the 1980s and 1990s as Trump’s company was imploding.
(snip)
Even while he was suffering tremendous financial setbacks — and precisely because he was suffering those setbacks — these efforts show Trump in the desperate act of spinning a mythology about himself (rich) that would sweep aside the facts (broke). And he did it by imperiling the livelihood of his doubters, silencing them and inducing a chilling effect both in the press and among the very people who are supposed to protect investors from terrible gambles like Trump’s businesses. If this self-promotion scheme had failed, Trump would never have become a reality-TV-starring symbol of business acumen. He would have skulked off into anonymity or ignominy, just another failed real estate developer and speculator.
(snip)
His brand survived all that, and even thrived, because he wasn’t just concocting tales of his greatness; he was also forcing others to repeat them, or at least not to contradict them. It was a strategy that more recently has paid off handsomely against onetime opponents like Sen. Lindsey Graham. Nobody can succeed on this scale simply by lying. Trump’s greatest and most cynical skill, honed during the 1980s and 1990s, was learning how to win by silencing truth-tellers and suppressing the truth when it matters most.
(Emphasis mine)
Washington Post

It's long, but well worth the read.

[trev]

1. It's how he runs his administration,

obviously. Or at least, obvious to anyone paying attention.

[NastyRiffraff]

2. Yes, it's why he holds those cabinet meetings

that feature cabinet members praising him, televised of course.

[trev]

4. Not to keep pushing this particular button

but Hitler did the same thing. His minions were deathly afraid of going against him in the slightest. And he carried himself as false royalty when visiting other nations.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. So do trump's boyfriends Putin and Kim and other despots.

Trump originally developed his tactics to protect his "brand"..the Trump name, the facade, which is what he basically was selling on all those hotels and gold courses and casinos. right up to mid 1990's, co-inciding with the rise of the Russian mob..ooops,meant oligarchs...it worked ok for him .

He is so busy grifting the WH role that I do not think he realizes what this says about him, as his obvious experience speaks volumes about his practiced flim-flam.

[Firestorm49]

3. "Silencing truth tellers". Indeed. Attacks on the press.....

Attacks on people’s character, belittlement, and the list goes on.

We have a lot to learn from this abomination of a president. Learn it well. Learn it soon. Never forget how quickly fragile a democracy can become.

[machoneman]

5. Paywall! Darned paywall!

[czarjak]

6. "You're fired" From a fake job!