By Myra Adams – The Hill contributor

MYRA’S COMPLETE ARCHIVE IS HERE

Reposted from The Hill: May 2, 2025

In his inaugural address, President Trump boldly declared the beginning of America’s “Golden Age.” Instead, with news and headlines that screamed “lowest 100-day approval in 80 years,” Trump’s Golden Age appears to be founded on “fool’s gold.” Those minerals with gold color that “flake, powder or crumble” aptly describe plunging consumer confidence amid overwhelming economic cynicism.

While ABC and CNN polls found that 72 percent of adults believe Trump’s policies will cause a recession, and tariffs will hurt the economy, the Golden Age began in the Oval Office with new blinged-out decor.

Given widespread dismal polling and a shrinking economy, Trump’s first 100 “daze” could be described by repetitive words and phrases that should be retired like a sports star’s jersey when Trump exits the White House in January 2029. (If he does exit.)

The first retired word should be “deal” — the “king” of Trump’s vocabulary, used ad nauseam. For Trump, “deal” is not just a transactional word but also his brand identity. The president’s never-stop-fighting persona is inseparable from a “never-lose” dealmaker who always comes out on top.

Trump indiscriminately applies “deal” to any conflict needing resolution involving allies or enemies, concerning all possible matters, international and domestic. With such widespread overuse, “deal” often sounds harsh and out of place for situations that require more nuance and sensitivity, especially when conducting the diplomacy of war, peace and its aftermath.

For example, Trump often uses “deal” when negotiating or discussing the Ukraine-Russia war, resulting in the rare minerals deal that Ukraine finally and desperately signed this week.

Contrast that transaction with the 1948 Marshall Plan, by which the U.S. helped rebuild Europe after World War II. At the cost of $13.3 billion ($176.4 billion in today’s dollars), the Marshall Plan was never thought of or characterized as a “deal.”

Surely, “deal” rhetoric makes the president feel more powerful and in control of the narrative. However, a deeper philosophical reason was revealed in “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s 1987 best-selling business advice-autobiography, ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz. Schwartz wrote, channeling Trump’s voice, “Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks.” Read more..