'His Only Motivation': Experts Say Trump Is an Empty Vessel -- Except on This One Issue

[babylonsister]

‘His Only Motivation’: Experts Say Trump Is an Empty Vessel — Except on This One Issue
by Ailia Zehra | May 21, 2025 - 5:28am

— from Alternet

snip//

Paul Rosenzweig, who served as a deputy assistant secretary for policy in the Department of Homeland Security under George W. Bush, told the Times that the impact of the president's action will never go away.

"The damage is permanent. Not because it cannot be fixed — it can be with effort. But rather because nobody will ever trust the United States again that something Trump-like won’t recur," he said.

"Would you as a young person take a federal job today? Would you as a foreign student trust that you could attend university in the United States safely? Would you as a European government trust the United States to maintain the security of your secrets?" Rosenzweig asked.

He continued: "Trump was elected to enrich and protect Trump. That was his only motivation. On issues of direct concern (e.g., getting a plane as a gift from Qatar or profiting off cryptocurrency), he has views. Otherwise, he is an empty vessel."

Mara Rudman, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, said: "The most lasting impact of this term will be felt in the damage done to the reputation of the United States as a safe harbor where the rule of law is king and where the Constitution is as sacred a national document as any country has developed."

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/ailia-zehra/113901/his-only-motivation-experts-say-trump-is-an-empty-vessel-except-on-this-one-issue

[sop]

1. As long as Trump persecutes the people his followers hate, his corrupt personal enrichment will be tolerated.

[riversedge]

2. So horrible but it is the Truth!!

[DENVERPOPS]

36. Add to that an even bigger item

None of our allies will EVER share intelligence with us ever again, and for good reason......The sharing of our intelligence and the intelligence of other nations, when given/sold by Trump to the world's bad guys, you can be sure there were countless numbers of people killed in the intelligence communities of the U.S. and other allied countries.............
For starters, Jared needed money badly to get him out of a poor real estate investment he made. It was critical that he get 150 Million immediately. He flew down and met the head of the Saudi's and gave him a brief case, and came right back with the 150 million he needed. The next week the head of the Saudi Family cleaned house with the intelligence information that Jared gave him, including some in his own family.....
Of course, 150 Mill was nothing compared to the TWO BILLION he gave Jared later.........Make you kinda wonder what Jared gave him that was worth that much money.......Maybe all of our, and every other countries Military Intelligence on every country within a thousand mile radius of the Saudi's country????????????

Like I said, there is no doubt in my mind, that every time Trump distributed that Top Secret info that we had developed, along with all the other countries intel, there were people disappearing or suddenly showing up dead around the world.

No different than the Valerie Plame stunt that Cheney/Rumsfeld pulled by publicly revealing that she was a CIA Agent....Any one that she had been in contact with, or dealt with in her "business", around the world would disappear or be found dead within 24 hours of that disclosure. (It was pure revenge for her husband, a uranium expert, saying that Saddam was no where near developing Yellow Cake Uranium need for nuclear weapons as Cheney/Rumsfeld were telling the American public as a reason to go to war immediately.....

[Volaris]

13. You just summed up Speaker Mikes life, legacy and career goals.

The payoff for even considering the enabling of project 2025, is that the trump family basicly gets to pillage the treasury (and whatever else they can find that isn't nailed down) and not end up in prison. That's the big picture quid pro quo, and it should be our starting argument for every other topic we have to engage in for the midterms.

(On Edit) this was Bannons idea. His claim to he some kind of Lenninst-at-heart style 'revolutionary' is cover for the fact that blowing up a building simply makes the rubble easier to steal, and the culture war bullshit IS THE COVER to put one over on the dipshit rascists who never got over losing the Civil War.

Know how I know? Because I accept the axiom that 'politics is downstream from culture'. That also means, by definition, that YOU CANT LEGISLATE CULTURE. EVERY time we've tried, it blows up in our face.

When the MAGAS finally figure this out (most of them won't, btw, and the criminals in our govt are counting on that) the howls and the screaming WILL be laughworthy to an extent, but then the cultural revolution Bannon truly, TRULY fears will start to happen. Because it will include Bannon back in a prison cell where he rightly deserves to be.

Rant Off.

[calimary]

30. "...Bannon back in a prison cell..."

…would be the best outcome imaginable for that detestable thief. Outside of Hell, of course. But THAT outcome we would never get to see.

So prison would suffice. Preferably for life.

[DENVERPOPS]

37. You nailed it Volaris

Trump's total concentration at this point, is aimed at extorting/grifting all the money he can with his power......
That, and helping our #1 Enemy, Putin, in his aim to Destory our beloved Country, Constitution, Democracy and Economy....

Putin's personal power was destroyed when the U.S. won the Cold War, and Putin has been hell bent on restitution and revenge ever since......

The Russian People are laughing their asses off, saying Putin "played" Trump and the Republican Party perfectly, to achieve Putin's wish of destroying America without a war with the U.S....... or without firing a single missle or rocket......

[slightlv]

46. I agree with your comment, especially

YOU CANT LEGISLATE CULTURE. EVERY time we've tried, it blows up in our face.

I have always yelled government (nor anyone else) can legislate morality. Not with all the anti-porn laws, demands for worship, or deletion of video games. Morality comes from within... it doesn't come from outside oneself. You can try to fake it, but you can't keep it up because morality encompasses so much of life. It even goes beyond culture, tho there is that component as part of the basics. That's why this country is going to be in so much pain in the near future. We've experienced nothing yet to what is coming. Dominionists theocratic rule will make Islamists look progressive.

[tanyev]

3. I would add two more besides personal enrichment: dominance and revenge.

[hatrack]

4. "Empty vessel" is too polite - I'd suggest "screaming void", but that's just me . . .

.

[Paladin]

15. Nobody that full of evil shit should be referred to as an "empty vessel." (nt)

[robbob]

26. A shit-filled empty vessel?

Kind of a paradox, but I like it! 😂

[Shipwack]

28. Schrdinger's Vessel

It is both shit filled and empty until it’s opened….

Metaphorically, of course.

[robbob]

43. Or until he opens his mouth and removes all doubt...

😂

[Celerity]

50. Done....

[Mtnmama]

45. I agree

If he were empty, it seems to me that far less damage to this country and to honorable people trying to serve this country would have been done. But he is so full of revenge and greed and self that a lot of damage has been done and our country, unfortunately, will continue to reap the consequences of his and the whole republican parties' actions. What our country will be like in another 3 1/2 years is scary to contemplate.

[Hugin]

32. Pretty good...

“Sucking Chest Wound” also comes to mind. Self-inflicted, of course.

[NoMoreRepugs]

5. BatShitCrazedLoon fits.

[Ray Bruns]

6. That's the fattest "empty" vessel I've ever seen.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I've Worked At Sites...

...with 50,000 gallon reactors & 200,000 gallon storage tanks.
But, when they're empty, they're empty. Big; huge, in fact! Still nothing in there.
His size is not relevant to the fact that he's empty. Something can be big but nothing of substance inside.
He's a case in point!

[lastlib]

16. It's not really "empty"......

It's chock-full of a trainload of dysenteric whaleshit that spews out every time the anus-mouth opens. I'm pretty sure there's an infinite supply.....

[Lokee11]

29. His asshole must be jealous -

of how much shit comes out of his mouth!!

✊FDT!

[surfered]

7. John Bolton's take on Trump: "The only thing Donald Trump cares about is Donald Trump."

[Joinfortmill]

19. The End.

[mn9driver]

9. Gaping holes in the Constitution.

In spite of being interested in politics and government for many years, it never occurred to me that the Constitution was merely a gentleman’s agreement. That weakness has now become horrifyingly obvious.

[mwmisses4289]

10. Yet another No shit, Sherlock article.

Where have these people been?

[GoCubsGo]

11. They're just now figuring that out?

This is how he has been all of his miserable, disgusting life. The only consolation is that he likely won't be around long enough to enjoy any of his ill-gotten gains. And, if he does manage to hang on for a few years, what's left of his rotted brain won't enjoy it, because he'll be too far gone. Neither will the useless, scumbag morons that are his children. Once he's gone, they'll be kicked to the curb, while the vultures pick clean the carcass that is his "empire." NOBODY likes his fucking kids.

[returnee]

44. He has shown people how its done.

There’s a formula. You think no one will try to pick up where he left off? Without a major overhaul of the Constitution and iron clad protections instituted, we’re a failed state. And that level of revamping will not be easy.

[Hotler]

12. Can we trust our military? What do they defend and stand for today, democracy or fascism?

[Boomerproud]

14. That is the million dollar question.

The truth will soon be known if and when the outrage hits the streets.

[Joinfortmill]

20. Who the hell knows? And, I hope he croaks before it gets to that.

[uponit7771]

22. Yep, they're governing like midterms don't exist or Dems won't remove him

[synni]

41. Of course not

Most (not all) of them voted for him, and would vote for him again.

[Joinfortmill]

17. I agree. I do think it is a good thing that Europe is uniting & consolidating it's defensive strategy

I never was a fan of the U.S.A. being the policeman/protector of the entire world. So, to my mind, the only benefit to Trump is the rest of the world is beginning to be more self- protective.

But, he has trashed our reputation in the world, and it will be a very long time before we are trusted again, a very long time.

[Demovictory9]

18. Trump is also motivated by the bottomless need attention and accolades for

[Joinfortmill]

21. That, too.

[Martin Eden]

23. Trust in the US government has been severely damaged

It will take a very long time to regain trust that has been so quickly shattered.

As for the "empty vessel" of Donald Trump, it is the bottomless pit of his insatiable ego. Life is a zero sum game, and he must be the winner.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Aside from greed there are 2 other things in the empty vessel: Nobel prize ambitions (Obama envy) and econ legacy

The genius of the stable thinks he can remake the US economy with deregulation, tariff taxes, smaller government and boosting the rich even more. Conceivably the first three would be possible with regard to economic effects at big societal costs, but definitely not the way he is doing it and not with his war on allies, war on science, and war on the labour market. Boosting the rich runs into the wall of already existing unsustainable wealth and income disparity.

The tariff taxes are of course only a conceivable benefit in the very long run, and again definitely not the way he is doing it. He is introducing a supply shock into the economy. The last supply shocks were 1973 and 1979 (OPEC) and the results were stagflation. It took Reagan's deficit spending and relaxtion by OPEC to get out of that, but the deficits have long lasting effects.

I do not see him leaving any kind of enviable economic legacy.

As to his "peace-making", he is not the deal-maker he projects.

[nowforever]

25. Yes

But we all make errors in judgement and the sign of true greatness is to recognize the error acknowledge it and correct. Trust will be built from we doing just that. He is getting so deranged it will be impossible to hide how mentally ill he really is. I cannot see him making it through the summer.

[Mr.Bee]

27. Would You Ever Trust a Repulican Again??

Or their megaphones,
FOXNEWS and others?

[Amaryllis]

31. "the rule of law is king " Great sign for no kings day.

[OMGWTF]

33. T💩p Broke America

Fuck T💩p and fuck anyone for voted for him. They hate America.

[kimbutgar]

34. The only issue is how he can enrich himself

He cares for only himself, not his family nor the American people !

[patphil]

35. Please remember that everything he has done, and will do is with the full consent of the Republican Congress.

But his base is the real problem.
Trump is a focal point for those people who see his lack of love and callous disregard for so many people as strength. He mirrors the deeply held feelings of hate and resentment held by 10's of millions of Americans.
Without them, he's nothing.

[Nigrum Cattus]

38. ALL repugs are garbage

I do not consider them Americans

[kimbutgar]

39. I can no longer say I am proud to be an American after this evil monster idiot was elected the first and second time.

We are no longer the beacon of free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

We’re now no better than a third world nation.

[Blue Owl]

40. tRump is POISON

he should have been in PRISON

[Wednesdays]

42. Hello,

[slightlv]

47. The germans tried to kill hitler...

didn't work, of course. But I have to wonder for those of us who lived through the 60's and 70's... all the people who were assassinated back then. How did that work? Why can't we do target regime change in this country?

[Aussie105]

48. Regime change?

Assassinations?
Bribing officials to look the other way?
Big hush-hush drug deals, big weapon deals?
Manipulating voting?

OK for other countries, but the average American will loudly proclaim . . . NOT IN MY BACK YARD!

As more time goes by, I'm convinced that:

American Democracy will not survive Trump for much longer.
Violence on a large scale becomes more likely as time goes by.

Tick-tock said the clock.
Time is fleeting.
Soon your choices to make things right will disappear.

[slightlv]

49. I agree violence is going to be around the corner.

My spidey sense is beyond tingling. Much more of this, and the rest of my hair will turn silver overnight!