Trump: The Art of the Deal

In the opening lines of The Art of the Deal, Donald Trump claims that business and real estate deals are his “art form” (1). Unlike traditional artists, however, Trump’s medium is power and influence rather than paint or words. His deals are not simply transactions but performances, carefully crafted to enhance his reputation and expand his empire. Deals almost function as a means of emotional expression for Trump, becoming the means by which he communicates with the audience. The first few projects are a demonstration of his ambition, in which he must bend the truth occasionally to achieve his goals. The building of Trump Tower, Trump Castle, and Trump Plaza are suggestive of a more domineering, more confident figures, who is projecting his name into the world as an advertisement of his own greatness. Even the deals which go awry speak to some element of Trump’s personality which he would otherwise struggle to put into words. The issue with the rent-controlled building, for example, brings Trump into confrontation with people from a lower-income background for the first time in many years, transporting him back to the time when he worked alongside his father on such development projects.