Netflix's Trump: An American Dream Shows the President Has Always Been Like This

Lincoln Michel
Updated
Spanning four decades, this miniseries presents four decades worth of Trumpian bluster.

You probably don’t think you need more Trump in your life. The president’s words and face are omnipresent, from the early morning Twitter rants to the late-night talk shows. But if you can stomach a little more, the new documentary miniseries Trump: An American Dream is a fascinating look at how Trump became who he is today. (It’s also on Netflix.)

Trump is composed of four episodes. The first looks at his rise (with a leg up from his wealthy dad) in real estate in the ‘70s, the second on his casino-fueled stardom in the ‘80s, the third on his fall into tabloid fodder and near financial ruin in the ‘90s, and the last on political ambitions and reality show stardom of the last two decades. In every decade, Trump is the same as he ever was. From his earliest days, he’s full of bluster and seemingly singularly obsessed with wealth, power, and self-promotion. Everything he does is “going to be great for everybody” and “going to be a tremendous success.” If someone questions that, they’re villains to be attacked, bullied, or sued. “The news gets away with murder,” Trump spits out when his disastrous Taj Mahal casino venture was nearing bankruptcy. When the journalist asks gently about the finances, Trump pulls off his mic and walks away. “But we talked about this yesterday on the phone,” the reporter says meekly.

Trump’s penchant for hyperbole and falsehoods is on full display too. Journalist David Cay Johnston describes quizzing Trump on the casino business with questions peppered with obvious flashoods. He expected Trump to correct his errors. Instead, Johnston says, “Trump takes my falsehoods and incorporates them into his answer. That’s what con artists do.”

Trump: An American Dream, which was originally created by 72 Films for the UK’s Channel 4, is not an investigate expose on Donald’s alleged crimes, nor a shocking look at the chaos of his administration (as much as those might be warranted). Instead, the documentary is a more neutral—well, as neutral as possible—look on Trump’s public persona and career path leading up to his presidential run. It’s composed of well-selected archival footage combined with a series of interviews with friends, business partners, and enemies from Trump’s life: campaign adviser Roger Stone, Apprentice winner Randal Pinkett, family friend Nikki Haskell, and a whole host of journalists and TV personalities who have covered him over the decades. (One interesting trick the documentary pulls is filming these figures watching the archival footage, to expressions of horror and delight.)

That isn’t to say the documentary is without surprises. Many viewers might not be aware that Trump worked closely with Roy Cohn, the lawyer for NYC’s mafia families, or know about the dramatic confrontation between his first wife Ivana and his second wife (then mistress) Marla Maples on the ski slopes of Aspen.

But the most interesting parts of the documentary are the insights Trump’s values, or lack thereof. One commenter says that at his father’s funeral, Trump “used it as an occasion to speak about his own business successes. How he wasn’t down. How he was gonna come back.” The documentary suggests Trump might have been inspired to run by pro-wrestler Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s successful campaign for governor of Minnesota. Ventura’s campaign manager, Dean Barkley, describes how Trump flew to Minnesota to ask them how they got as much publicity as they did. “He wasn’t interested in particular issues,” Barkley says. “He wasn’t. He was just interested in becoming president.”