Donald Trump: The Businessman Who Bent Democracy to His Will (and We Let Him)

Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed billionaire and master dealmaker, wasn’t just bad at playing by the rules—he didn’t even acknowledge their existence. Over the course of his presidency, Trump’s behavior revealed a disturbing pattern: his business-first mindset didn’t just clash with democratic norms, it bulldozed them. And while he did so, much of the media stood by, shrugging it off as “Donald being Donald.” But let’s be clear: Trump’s leadership style was less about governance and more about how far he could bend the system to serve his personal interests.

Let’s start with his approach to business ethics. According to a piece from the Santa Clara University Ethics Blog, Trump’s so-called “leadership” prioritized the bottom line above all else—typical CEO behavior, right? Except Trump wasn’t running a private corporation; he was running a country. The article refers to this as “ethical fading,” where decisions are based on costs, not on what’s right or wrong . And if that sounds familiar, it should. Trump openly bragged about exploiting tax loopholes during his campaign, proudly proclaiming that dodging taxes made him “smart.” But should someone who views ethical boundaries as mere obstacles be trusted to lead a nation?

But it doesn’t stop there. Trump’s contempt for the rule of law is legendary. Whether it was pardoning convicted criminals like Joe Arpaio—who was found guilty of criminal contempt—or meddling in investigations to protect his friends and himself, Trump’s presidency was a masterclass in self-serving autocracy. Multiple sources, including *CNN* and *Rolling Stone*, have analyzed Trump’s blatant disregard for judicial norms, pointing to the ways he undermined legal processes for his own benefit . This wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate, strategic exploitation of power.

And yet, we watched. The media, with its “bottom-line journalism” approach, treated Trump’s legal offenses as if they were just the cost of doing business in Washington. Instead of recognizing the gravity of his actions, much of the coverage framed it as Trump simply “playing hardball”—as though upending democratic norms was just another savvy business move.

Then there are the endless legal challenges, which should have been the ultimate red flag. The Brennan Center for Justice highlights the sheer volume of criminal investigations that surrounded Trump during his time in office . Most people facing that many legal problems might be worried about accountability, but not Trump. His actions sent a clear message: the law doesn’t apply to him.

This leads us to the absurd reality that a cartoon from *The Washington Post* captured so perfectly. Trump’s time in office became a farce—his outlandish disregard for rules and ethics made the very idea of accountability laughable. But let’s not forget the most dangerous part: his ability to normalize behavior that would have been unthinkable for any other president.

Trump wasn’t just bending the rules; he was tearing them apart. And we? We just kept watching. Some even cheered him on. The media, in its relentless drive for ratings and clicks, too often glossed over the lasting damage done to the principles of democracy. In our rush to make sense of his unprecedented behavior, we accidentally let it become *precedent*.

As Trump remains a political force—still somehow relevant in our national conversation—it’s crucial to remember: this wasn’t just “Donald being Donald.” This was a systematic dismantling of governance, led by a man who treated democracy like a hostile takeover. We shrugged off his corrupt actions then, but the consequences will haunt us for years to come.

**Citations:**
1. Santa Clara University Ethics Blog, “Donald Trump Is No Role Model for Business Ethics.”
2. *CNN*, “Trump Justice Barr Rule of Law.”
3. *Rolling Stone*, “Trump’s Open Disdain for the Rule of Law.”
4. Brennan Center for Justice, “Trump and the Rule of Law.”