MIND THE TRUMP GAP: THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

"THE world's oldest democracy has an emblematic motto inscribed on the 'great seal'.

- SHANKKAR AIYAR

Adopted in 1782, it reads 'E pluribus unum'-Latin for 'out of many, one-symbolising the social compact recognising the rights of the governed. In 2025, under Donald J Trump, the predominance of 'one' over the 'many' is stark and striking.

Each of DJT's 200 days in power is a whirlwind of what's next. The atmospherics are somewhat reminiscent of Louis XIV, who declared, "L'état, c'est moi" (The state is me). He too imposed tariffs and partnered with financiers to bolster the French economy. Trump has adopted the Nixonian line on presidential powers. And like Andrew Jackson, Trump leans on the advice of the kitchen cabinet to subjugate the system. In one week, he sacked the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief claiming data was rigged, shunted the chief of the Internal Revenue Service and has wanted to sack Jerome Powell for months.

Notice that Trumpian expressions and idioms are tailored for his base he said the Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan "was kissing my ass", nicknamed the US Fed chief Jerome 'too late' Powell, dubbed a Sydney Sweeny ad as the "hottest" and Taylor Swift "no longer hot". The coarseness of language harks to Henry VIII, who infamously called an ex-wife a 'Flanders mare'. As in royal courts, the unprecedented meets with the unexpected and is wrapped in intrigue.