Handicapping Trump’s successors
Republicans enjoy a deep, young bench. Democrats have only AOC. Contrary to those betting on Vance, Rubio appears the current frontrunner, but watch Eric Trump.
A great many Washington swamp snakes, from both parties, are hiding under rocks, biding their time until 2029 when their nightmare ends and they can return to business as usual. This can’t be allowed to happen and won’t happen for various reasons, organic and deliberate. What if instead of Trump’s replacement allowing the snakes to return, that individual makes the snakes’ lives even worse? This is the heavyweight division, and the number one requirement for Trump’s successors is being able to take punches and come back to dish out punishment.
Trump’s historical mandate is to create the template his successors will be obligated to follow. He stands alone among his predecessors. None of them so completely remade the office into their own image. Even Reagan, the only one who came close, didn’t leave much of a wake. Bush 41, son of a senator and himself a former CIA Director, an establishment Republican personified, couldn’t wait to undo much of Reagan’s accomplishments, starting by raising taxes. Voters rectified that problem after one term. Trump is different. Especially after the disaster of Biden. The public wants somebody who ensures our safety and prosperity. After long years in the wilderness and having finally arrived at the political promised land under Trump, Americans will have no tolerance for backsliding.
Trump is also busy laying the groundwork for the final demise of the Democratic party, especially at the national level. He is currently focused on the 2026 midterm elections to ensure Republicans retain and expand control of both congressional chambers. Those jockeying to succeed him will then begin making their moves once 2027 arrives.
A few comments on the opposition, such as it is.
While this essay isn’t about the opposition, a few observations in this regard follow. All 22 Democratic governors signed their statement endorsing California’s Newsom in his political suicide mission to block ICE deportations of criminal illegal aliens. It seems almost impossible that any of these 23 could somehow overcome this fatal error. Some may have realized the downsides of signing and protested, but the party penalizes dissenters from its sacraments. The latter include such things as abortion, transgenderism, and antisemitism.
Republican opponents could make hay out of the 23 taking the wrong side in what’s shaping up as the defining issue of our time: deportations. This means governors such as Newsom, Whitmer, Shapiro, Moore, or Hochul destroyed their presidential ambitions. Somebody needs to inform Timmy Walz that he’s a commie creep and the more national exposure he gets, the more he soils the party’s already nosediving brand. The party’s lack of adult supervision ready to yank Walz off the stage illustrates its bankruptcy. Walz has mastered the art of blowing public funds, the principal criteria for securing his party’s nomination.
Without their governors, this leaves Democrats’ congressional bench, which isn’t pretty. AOC seems about the only one gaining traction. Of course members of the Democrats’ Senate chorus will convince themselves of their wonderfulness, but nobody will buy what they’re selling. Cory Booker’s fake histrionics always promise to be entertaining but eliminate him from national viability. Amy Klobuchar is about as close to a centrist as the party can scrape up, but its radicals would vigorously oppose such individuals.
The David Hogg wing of the party (which approaches overall control) stands ready to block any moderates. The party can’t move toward the center, which Trump owns. The only place it can go is into Lalaland. Heading in any other direction would meet strong resistance from the remaining concentration of radicals left behind by those who have fled.
The Clinton machine ruled with an iron fist and imposed discipline, ensuring against drifting too far from the political center. Until Obama’s hostile takeover of their applecart. The radicals Obama installed in the institutions (not that the Clintons didn’t do their part in contributing to the problem) have permanently doomed the party’s brand. Biden/Harris are symptomatic of the party’s bankruptcy. The party has done everything possible to create internal dissension and drive various factions into the Republican tent.
Democrats possess an unparalleled record of driving out faction after faction. First came the feminists, including many displaying man hatred. Then Blacks were elevated, treated as more equal than all others. Then Hispanics were given equal status, then Islamists, gays, etc. LGBQTxyz represents fracturing into ever smaller interest groups. The opposite of the uniting Trump imposed on Republicans. Trump engineered a hostile takeover of the Republican party, essentially turning it into a shell company to host his coalition. Establishment Republicans resented him, but stifled their contempt in favor of the privileges associated with belonging to the winning team. What’s remarkable is how forbidden it has become on the right to publicly speak negatively of Trump. This relates to the emerging phenomenon of the imperial cult. Whether it's the Woke Right or RINOs, it's politically illegal to take Trump's name in vain.
Those given negative status by Democrats include Christians, Jews, Whites, males, straights, and the “cis-gendered.” These collectively constitute a solid majority. Today’s Democratic party has become dominated by college-educated females. When a party splinters into innumerable factions, their parochial interests inevitably come into conflict with each other. Then it’s only a matter of time before the resultant fracturing yields a terminal collapse. Democrats have taken their individual mental instabilities and packaged them into a collective of the absurd. The sane simply desire order and have left.
The final straw for the party was opening the illegal alien floodgates, undermining those on the lowest social rungs. Among other things, this caused massive Black and Hispanic flight into the MAGA coalition. Democrats took minorities for granted, assuming they would never leave. Once Trump showed up and Democrats simultaneously unleashed the migrant invasion, that assumption proved false. The oligarchs scooped up the illegals as discount employees. Social Security and voting fraud were required to allow this charade to operate. Those gates are now being locked shut by undergoing reforms.
Money was (past tense) the only thing holding things together. That money came from debt (federal, state, and local government debt), public employee union dues (i.e., kickbacks), and that which was funneled through NGOs. Now that those three spigots are closing and governments at all levels are downsizing, political life will consist of budget cuts on top of budget cuts in the years immediately ahead. Year after year. Democrats’ ability to pass out funds to their dependent constituencies will disappear. Legislators (federal, state, and local) routinely piled on debt with no intention of ever paying it back. They pass “balanced” budgets which include debt. They pass out generous pensions to government employees, who in turn vote their patrons back into office. That can’t continue indefinitely. The big lie, of the past decade or two, was that we were passing responsibility on to future generations. Look in the mirror. That’s who will be forced to deal with the fallout, sooner rather than later.
It’s unlikely Democrats will ever again have a successful presidential contest. Reforms now being instituted (eliminating birthright citizenship, stricter standards for voting in federal elections) and cutting off funds to NGOs and other shell entities, mean the party’s advantages are rapidly disappearing.
Inflation — money created out of thin air — was the only thing which allowed matters to get so out of hand. Deflation is the inevitable consequence. The problem began when Teddy Roosevelt ran as an independent in 1912, splitting the Republican vote. This allowed college president Dr. Woodrow Wilson to gain the presidency and in 1913 we got the Federal Reserve and the IRS, soon followed by WWI, which we had no business participating in. At some point we will conclude out that allowing public employee unions (which even FDR opposed) was a colossal error which must be reversed, a reform which isn’t optional.
As but one example, teachers’ unions have demolished our educational system, especially in the cities hosting 24% of our public school student population. Half (sometimes more) of local property taxes go to feed that expensive beast. Teachers routinely make $100,000 or more annually, for part-time jobs compared to other workers. The national average school year is 180 days. Those in the civilian workforce, working an average year and taking off the 11 federal holidays, are on the job for 250 days, minus vacation or sick time. Teachers work 14 weeks less than most others. And their workdays are generally shorter than the typical one. The average teacher salary is $72,000, while in California that number is $101,000, with generous benefits. If the average school day is 6 hours, a $72,000 salary (not including generous benefits) works out to $67/hour. In urban districts, this considerably exceeds the average income of public school students’ parents. Teachers are therefore from a superior income class, supervising children of a lower class. This drives much of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Democrats use our national crisis of incarceration (which they created with their school-to-prison pipeline) as evidence of Republicans’ racism, when it was their policies which largely created the problem. Democrats’ solution is to release criminals, defund police, and eliminate cash bail. Ongoing initiatives to drain the money from the government swamp will do more to defund Democrats, rather than police, and eventually reverse the causes of much of our social ills.
It shouldn’t be assumed that Trump intends to just hand the reins to Vance. Trump’s management style is to allow his underlings to fight it out and dispute among each other. There’s every reason to assume he will play some role in his succession, but will probably endorse a vigorous primary battle to allow the cream to rise to the top. It worked for him and is the best way to select the strongest candidate. Unlike Democrats, Republicans possess a deep, young bench of potential candidates, any one of whom could perform well.
It’s all about the debt
As 2028 approaches, economic headwinds will make Republicans’ task increasingly difficult as the federal debt bomb comes closer to exploding. This event can’t be prevented, only delayed. With interest rates on the latest issuances of 30-year treasury bills now around 5%, this means bond market vigilantes are reprising their role from the 1979-1981 era which saw Carter ousted in favor of Reagan. Carter, Reagan, and Trump inherited significant budget hurdles thanks to decades of inflation under their predecessors. Rates peaked on 30-year bonds at 15.21% in October 1981. More recently, the peak so far this cycle has been at 5.128% in May 2025.
A key part of the template being molded by Trump is congressional neutering. We’ll have to wait to learn the results of the 2026 election, but if Republicans gain sufficient ground, Trump will be enabled to make significant inroads in acquiring a mandate to not only bypass Democrats, but also those Republicans interfering with his agenda.
The list of potential presidential candidates below is notable for its relative youth. It’s also worth considering the social class origins of these individuals. Presidents of high birth have previously been the norm. Roosevelts, Bushes, Kennedys, etc. After WWII, that has begun to change. Except for the Bushes and Kennedy, presidents have come from lower backgrounds. John Kerry and other elitists tried and failed to get elected. Those who came from humble or middle class circumstances (Jackson, Lincoln, LBJ, Reagan, Nixon) are becoming increasingly common. Ivy League attendance (and prep school education) was standard for upper class men seeking higher status. The 2000 election probably represented the last time two prep school/Ivy League graduates faced off against each other.
That is no longer the case. Of the 14 listed below, three are attorneys (Rubio, Vance, and Hageman) and 4 attend the Ivy League (Vance, DeSantis, Donald Trump Jr., and Ramaswamy). Only two (the Trump brothers) attended prep schools.
Marco Rubio - 54
In spite of having been a former senator (a negative) and having been aligned with establishment interests during that portion of his career (he served on the Senate Select Committee, as Secretary of State Rubio is coming into his own. In his appearances before Congress Rubio has not suffered fools lightly. His debating skills are unparalleled. The former head of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (one of the congressional Gang of Eight), Rublio knows where a lot of bodies are buried. By placing Rubio in the National Security Advisor position, on top of this State Department portfolio, Trump signalled his confidence in him.
As Steve Bannon has noted about Trump, he is a beast and global leaders know not to screw with him. Trump 45 ordered the assassination of Iran’s leading general and the killing of several hundred Russian mercenaries in Syria. ISIS was decimated in Syria and Iraq during his first administration. The Houthis felt his wrath at the start of his second. In prosecuting these relatively modest actions, he saved millions of lives. As Biden’s pathetic Afghanistan exit proved, the absence of firm, unquestioned American leadership quickly leads to global conflicts. A million casualties in Ukraine and the Hamas/Hez b’Allah/Houthi/Iranian/Israeli mess were another direct result from Biden signalling American retreat. Rubio gets it.
According to RFK Jr., Rubio is the funniest member of the cabinet, constantly cracking up meeting attendees. This is significant. Reagan and Trump shared this skill, to great effect. Comedy can be a powerful political weapon, right up there with eloquence.
Rubio alone was Trump’s featured guest at a June 7, 2025 UFC event. In the imperial era, the greatest public honor is to be seen in Trump’s arena entourage. Trump’s messaging was unmistakable. Those who made it to the presidency after serving as Secretary of State are Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Van Buren, and Buchanan. Others tried and failed, more recently Alexander Haig, Hillary Clinton, and Mike Pompeo.
J.D. Vance - 40 (turning 41 on 8/2/2025)
With few exceptions, Vance checks off all the boxes. He is an excellent speaker and debater, with an imperturbable disposition, and a worthy VP to Trump. As we earlier noted, one exception was his attitude expressed during the Signalgate affair. He wondered what business the United States has in policing the Houthis. That is the sort of presidential thinking which might have worked in a past age, but not the sort of imperial logic necessary to command the world’s first global empire. That past age didn’t even last through Jefferson’s administration when he was forced to start the first Barbary War to protect American shipping in the Mediterranean from jihadist terrorists. The lesson from Abbey Gate is that global chaos quickly surfaces once American weakness and hesitancy is displayed. Anyone who thinks that chaos will not come to our shores, sooner rather than later, is clueless. If Vance takes these lessons to heart, he would be presidential material. Vance doesn't seem to possess the killer instinct, the ruthlessness of Rubio. Americans want attack dog, aggressive leaders. Someone like a Josh Hawley. Vance appears too laid back. Voters need a street fighter who breaks rules, not a college professor.
Vance’s friendship (perhaps through his wife) with fellow Yale Law graduate Ramaswamy raises questions. Their oldest child is named Vivek. Vance was pushed for the VP position by Don Jr. (see below) and Tucker Carlson. Carlson’s son is Vance’s deputy press secretary. As Carlson’s public meltdown becomes more apparent, his king-maker fantasies evaporate. Those he pushed forward, such as Vance, need to distanse themselves from him as Trump has done. Trump is currently alone in that regard, but others need to speak up.
Every empire is maintained through one policy: FAFO. It’s that simple. Any other policy doesn’t work. The Romans weren’t nice people, but they created the greatest period of peace the world has experienced. After the Roman collapse, Europe was thrust into a Dark Age punctuated by tribal warfare. This was followed by the Middle Ages, when commerce began returning and nations began battling for supremacy. This was followed by the War of Contending States period — running from Napoleon’s excursions at the start of the 19th Century, through the end of the 20th Century, with its world and cold wars, when the USSR finally imploded. That interval required most of two centuries. The point is that over a millennium and a half have been spent in turmoil since the Roman decline. Civilization requires an enormous effort and period of time to accomplish. Long centuries of contention were required before American Civilization finally made it to the finish line. It can all be undone in a single administration. We came close under Obama and Biden.
Vance just doesn’t display the ruthlessness vibe that Rubio does.
Kristi Noem - 53
After the recent murders of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, Trump dispatched Kristi Noem on a visit to Israel to offer condolences. Why Noem? He has Ambassador Huckabee and others who could have performed that function. She certainly had more pressing concerns to address here at home. The only explanation appears to be a desire to provide Noem international experience, beyond her photo-op at the El Salvador prison. This signals a vote of confidence in Noem and the job she has been doing at DHS. During the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, Noem was smart enough to stay away. Which Trump certainly must have appreciated.
Noem has been in a romantic relationship with Trump’s first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. Both are in marriages to others. Lewandowski serves as Noem’s “de facto chief of staff” at DHS, begging ethical questions. Lewandowski recently accompanied her on one of her well-publicized immigration raids. He is currently in the status of a special government employee.
None of this leads to a conclusion Noem would make a great president. Or a lousy one. The possibility can’t be dismissed that the Israel trip was Lewandowski’s idea. Noem, a former member of Congress and governor of a state with a population under 1,000,000, was on Trump’s supposed list of potential 2024 running mates. Whether that list was real is doubtful. Trump apparently created it, mentioning deep stater Tim Scott and Noem as potential VPs, to divert attention from those he actually was considering. Her tour at DHS has enhanced her resume, but something instinctively seems lacking with her. A certain coldness seems apparent, that would be okay for a man, but not for a woman. Kari Lake (see below) manages to pull off the maternal, but firm, act far better. Noem appears to have had excessive plastic surgery, which suggests a calculated image.
During Trump’s marathon public cabinet meeting in July, in the wake of the Texas flooding tragedy, Noem was the first Trump one called on to speak. She provided a profoundly emotional and compassionate discussion of what conditions were like on the ground in Texas, and her actions in comforting the grieving. In the end, Noem doesn’t seem like a compelling presidential choice.
Kari Lake - 55 (turning 56 on 8/23/2025)
If not for corrupt Arizona elections, Lake would be serving in the Senate or as Governor of her state. Trump has tasked her with cleaning up the Voice of America swamp as his special advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, and after that might hopefully appoint her to a more prominent position. In terms of her ability to handle the media and perform well on camera, she is of the same caliber as Rubio, the very best the GOP has to offer. There appear to be no downsides to her candidacy. A Rubio/Lake ticket in 2028 would be a powerful combination. For four years, from 2008 to 2012, Lake registered as a Democrat, a sin Reagan was also guilty of earlier in his career. Originally a Republican, she grew disenchanted with neocon wars and voted for Kerry and Obama as a result. She strongly opposed John McCain, perhaps the worst presidential nominee Republicans fielded in memory. She actively opposed COVID insanity and voting fraud. America would be well-served by Lake in any position. She dispalys a calm, assertive manner and can dish it out.
Tulsi Gabbard - 44
There’s much to like about Tulsi Gabbard, but her socialist orientation and fondness for Bernie Sanders would appear to rule her out. While she is doing a superb job of bringing Deep State elements of the intelligence community under control, her political orientation isn’t right for what America needs. Reports that Trump was upset with Gabbard’s warning about warmongers in the lead up to the Iranian action need to be taken with a grain of salt. Various administration figures (including Trump) were issuing purposefully ambiguous and confusing messaging to conceal war plans.
Donald Jr. - 47
The first question is whether Donald Trump Jr. wants the job and the responsibilities it entails. If he does, what positives does he bring other than his name? Jr. pushed Tucker Carlson as a potential 2024 running mate, which would have been a disaster. At one time, many assumed the presidency was his, if he wanted it. Both assumptions are likely wrong. As a pitbull advocating MAGA policies he’s great, but the job entails far more than that. There’s also the question of whether his father considers him an appropriate choice. This is doubtful. His younger brother would be far better.
Eric Trump - 41
Eric Trump is another matter entirely from his older brother. Whereas Donald Jr. is the master of snark online, Eric is the picture of sobriety and the primary executive of the Trump Organization. Eric possesses a gravitas his brother (and indeed his father) lacks. He appears to have zero negatives and strong positives. The question is whether he desires the responsibility and would be willing to set aside business endeavors while serving. For patriotic reasons, if called upon to serve he would likely do so. Eric recently raised the question of running. Since a presidential campaign requires considerable runway to become airborne, if Eric soon starts publicly weighing in on matters of national interest, he’s in. In 2015 Trump was the final entrant into the 2016 GOP primary field. If Eric is going to enter, he would probably also do the same.
READ this July 2025 fluff piece regarding Eric. If this doesn’t sound like somebody laying the groundwork for a presidential run, nothing does.
Whether or not Trump will take an active behind-the-scenes role in anointing his successor is unknown. He could tell the others (all of whom have busy day jobs) to stand aside while Eric (or whoever is tapped) takes his turn. We could have a repeat of 2000 when Bush 43 was basically anointed early in the process, avoiding divisive, expensive primary battles. Which makes way too much sense. For all we know, the decision could already be made to give the nod to Rubio, with Eric as his VP. If both serve two terms, that takes us through 2044, 19 years from now.
Pete Hegseth - 45
What Vance missed during Signalgate, Hegseth intuitively grasped. He needed no convincing that Trump’s targeting of the Houthis was the correct course of action. His determination to remake the military back to its original configuration as a lethal force is overdue. But the presidency is about far more than the military. It includes domestic politics (especially economic concerns) and foreign affairs, areas where Hegseth is untested. He absolutely gets it regarding a FAFO policy in global affairs. What’s unclear is his political acumen and domestic policies. He clearly has no use for DEI and has taken bold steps to reverse this cancer.
Watch the video below of Trump standing aside to allow Hegseth to rough up hostile reporters. Hegseth brings the fire. Rubio is of a similar caliber, but comes across as colder and more ruthless (positive attributes). Voters don’t want wimps as their leader. Rubio brings a calm ruthlessness, more powerful than Hegseth’s more demonstrative variety. Vance is too intelligent and cerebral. He comes across as too cerebral. Pit bulls win elections. Adlai Stevenson and John Kerry are examples of losers lacking the ability to connect with voters on a visceral level. Reagan was a nice guy, until he got pushed around, then his mettle showed. Perhaps most famously with the 1980 New Hampshire GOP primary microphone incident. Reagan, a superb actor, knew when (especially right before the first state primary) to bring the fire. The primary race was over at that point.
Hegseth doesn’t suffer from the isolationism virus afflicting too many in the MAGA coalition. He has declared that “America First certainly does not mean America alone. Especially alongside so many of our allies.” A civilization can’t be defended by one nation alone against incessant efforts to destroy it. But foreign affairs is only one part of a presidential portfolio. It’s unclear what Hegseth’s domestic policies might be like. There’s nothing not to like about him, except Rubio appears somewhat better, and his 14 years in the Senate, and his 2 years as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, he is a far more experienced politician.
Lara Trump - 44 (turns 45 on 10/12/2025)
Lara’s stint as vice chair of the Republican National Committee was her first foray into the political realm. Her numerous television appearances leave nothing to be desired. She is a cheerful conservative warrior, in the mold of Reagan or Sarah Palin. The possibility of her serving as Vice President and then running on her own can’t be ruled out. We are overdue for our first female president. She considered running for a Senate seat in her home state of North Carolina in 2022, but decided against it, citing her two young children. After Trump announced his nomination of Florida Senator Rubio as Secretary of State, Lara expressed interest in his vacant Senate seat. On December 22, 2024 she withdrew from consideration. It’s unknown if the reason was because Governor DeSantis, who is not among Your Favorite President’s favorite people, wouldn’t have appointed her to the vacant seat. If Trump again appoints her to a high level position sometime soon, this could signal continuation of her grooming for greater responsibilities. Upon North Carolina Senator Tillis announcing his retirement (good riddance), Lara immediately expressed potential interest in the seat. Trump likes the idea. If Eric becomes president, Lara could eventually pull a Hillary and transition from First Lady to presidential candidate.
Lara Trump is finally considering a Senate run — Maga loyalists will be delighted
Trump reveals his ‘first choice’ for open North Carolina Senate seat
Harriet Hageman - 62
There is no indication Wyoming Congresswoman Hageman aspires to anything higher than her current position. However, there’s every indication she would make an outstanding president or vice president. What’s not to like? She brings adult supervision back to Washington. An attorney, Hageman is eloquent and no-nonsense.
Byron Donalds - 46
Gravitas is Donalds’s middle name. He looks and acts the part. Donalds is running for Florida governor. A future presidential run after a successful governorship can be assumed.
Elise Stefanik - 41
Assuming she smokes NY Governor Hochul in the next election, after a term as governor Stefanik could make a solid presidential candidate. Her real-time dismantling of Ivy League university presidents and (more recently) duplicitous NY Governor Hochul leave nothing to be desired. Trump’s confidence in her was indicated by appointing her as UN representative. The only reason she was removed from nomination was because the House Republican majority had become too thin, and her vote was needed. Hochul had conspired to leave Stefanik’s seat open for an extended period of time to stymie Republicans.
Last, and least on our list are two losers who should never be allowed near the oval office.
Ron DeSantis - 46 9/14
DeSantis (along with Nikki Haley) was the Deep State stalking horse charged with undermining Trump in 2024. What did he stand for that Trump wasn’t already doing? Noem figured out that challenging Trump in 2024 was a losing proposition, something that escaped DeSantis and Ramaswamy (see below). During the 2024 race the Deep State plan was for DeSantis to play the stand-in designated to be the front-runner once lawfare took Trump out of the race. Or so he thought based on promises from his deep-pocket backers.
Consider the recent bogus attack on property taxes from DeSantis, an attempt to adopt pretend populist credibility. According to DeSantis, property taxes are unfair, “an unjust system built on punishing people for owning property.” Let’s break this down. Because of inflation, when the value of your house increases, so do your property taxes. Inflation is caused by congressional spending of money that doesn’t exist. DeSantis didn’t seem to have a problem with this while he was in Congress. Now that he’s term-limited out of the governor’s office, he’s seeking relevance. New flash: All taxation is unjust in one way or another. Property taxes have been a fact of life in America since the 17th Century. Complaints about property taxes being too high have been made since the 17th Century.
According to the logic DeSantis applies to this issue, if the value of your house goes up due to inflation, your tax bill should remain the same. Which sounds great, but wouldn’t work. Say you bought your home in 1980, when the national average price was $47,200. Today that number is $503,800. Property taxes fund local services. If the Jones family purchased in 1980, and the Smith family moved in next door this year, they would be paying over 10 times in taxes as the Joneses, effectively subsidizing the Jones family’s burden to support local services. DeSantis has concocted a stupid test to see how many would fall for his act.
The more voters saw of DeSantis during the 2024 primaries, the worse he did. Starting in second place, in the end he wound up with 1.6% of the vote, compared to Haley’s 19.7%.
It’s common knowledge his wife wears the pants in the family. The only other governor this could probably be said about is Timmy Walz. Mrs. DeSantis is problematic, with a massive ego.
Vivek Ramaswamy - 39 (turns 40 on 8/9/2025)
This full-blown narcissistic chatterbox has targeted the Ohio governor’s race after being kicked out of the DOGE operation the day before Trump’s second inauguration. He had been slated to co-chair the endeavor with Elon Musk. Details on why he was booted are obscure, but can be assumed to relate to his exceptional phoniness. Apparently friction arose between him and Musk. He irked Trump by denigrating Americans during H1-B discussions. Trump endorsed Ramaswamy on his way out the door, just to be rid of him. What qualified him in the first place? He has no background in data science. He probably would have contributed nothing to the effort. He was there to enhance his resume. The others were there to accomplish something. By the time of the inauguration, Ramaswamy managed to antagonize Trump, Musk, and many others. He was reportedly no longer welcome at Mar-a-Lago.
Whether Ohio voters fall for his act remains to be seen. If they do, he will undoubtedly seek to use the governor’s office to launch another presidential bid. Narcissists eventually destroy everything around them. Newsom (or New York’s Cuomo) is a classic, with an unchallenged resume of failures few, if any, could equal. If Ramaswamy were to capture the governor’s office there’s a strong possibility he could do everyone a favor and screw things up sufficiently to reveal his unfitness for higher office. Our extensive exploration of his dysfunctionality can be found HERE.
The Trump template
The overarching point, which will endure long into America’s future, is that Trump is establishing the template all his successors will be obligated to follow. Straying too far from what Trump has established will not be tolerated by the public. Once we get tired of winning, any backpedalling will be viewed in an exceptionally negative light by the public. Inevitably, fools and scoundrels will make their way into the presidency. We've seen too many already. But in the coming years immediately ahead, contrasts with Trump will become immediately apparent and self-limiting. Someday, after corruption and incompetence creep back in, the elderly will look back on the Trump years and tell their descendants what it was like.
As the American Augustus, our first emperor, Trump’s historical mandate is to engineer a constitutional reformation, laying a strong foundation for governing the world’s first global empire. This will require neutering both the legislature and judiciary. 2025 illustrates how his hands are tied by the current configuration of both. If the 2026 midterms yield a sufficient GOP majority, much of the reform can be accomplished during the second half of Trump’s term. Unfinished portions will be achieved by his successors. The federal government requires massive downsizing; the tax code is a wreck — needlessly inhibiting growth — after decades of congressional corruption; and state/local jurisdictions have followed the federal profligacy. Federal reforms will have a trickle-down impact, forcing lower jurisdictions to follow suit and exposing corruption. At least 26 states are already imitating the DOGE initiative.
One somewhat unique aspect of the Trump administration is that it elevates cabinet members to levels of public exposure where they could be considered as presidential contenders. While this is nothing new (e.g., Herbert Hoover had been Secretary of Commerce), it’s a refreshing change from senators and governors competing for the prize. As the first non-politician or non-general president, Trump is opening up the position to a broader segment of the population. It was humorous how after his first election, various billionaires convinced themselves they were presidential material. People such as Mark Cuban, Ramaswamy (pretending to be a new, improved version of Trump), or Oprah Winfrey.