“Why harp on the facts, it’s the exaggerations that makes a tale interesting!” A favourite aunt once exclaimed when I tried to fact-check a funny family story she was narrating to a huge, giggling audience two decades ago. Each member of my clan cheered her on and it was the start of a delightful evening.

Donald Trump’s interview with Elon Musk sent me back in time as I waded through the conversation. Both Trump and Musk know the importance of exaggerations in any narrative. The Indic epic poets knew it. Herodotus knew it. And so did Boccaccio, Chaucer, and Shakespeare. Trump’s exaggerations, ably supported by his interviewer, made for a good story for his supporters. All 60 million of them he thought were tuned into the live broadcast. This number is an exaggeration, too.

A Risk Worth Taking

But why does Trump exaggerate all the time despite a bevvy of fact-checkers waiting to give each syllable uttered by him a hang-draw-quarter treatment? Political storytelling is assessed under different rubrics than literary texts. Is this a risk worth taking? The answer is a resounding yes. 

Trump capitalises on narcissism when he indulges in making outlandish claims. To understand this link better, let’s look at what the experts have to say about narcissism. “For the narcissistically involved person, there is only one reality: that of his own thought processes, feelings and needs. The world outside is not experienced or perceived objectively, i.e., as existing in its own terms, conditions and needs,” Erich Fromm proposed in the 1950s.  Fromm also posited that narcissists have a stronger sense of entitlement. This lays bare the reasons behind Trump’s constant resort to exaggerations.

Narcissism And Politics

All politicians are narcissistic in some measure; this trait allows them to, first, enter politics, and then stay in it. Narcissism, however, has a highly specialised function for certain political ideologies. The interlinkages of narcissism with the sense of entitlement are important to understand while analysing why Trump’s narcissism works for him politically. A study conducted by political scientists Peter K. Hatemi and Zoltân Fazekas found that “In the 2016 election, higher entitlement reflected the mood of the general public, certainly among the working class, which voted Republican in greater numbers”. Hatemi and Fazekas propose that narcissism may have a role to play in the rise of populist politics. Trump’s constituents and those curious about him are offered a blanket of familiarity.

In simple terms, Trump’s worldview, presented with an exaggerated sense of self-importance and confidence, wins people over. People who are ever so anxious about their entitlements being eroded. And this is why statements like the following work: “Our crime rate’s going through the roof.” Who cares whether the FBI’s reports show a consistent decline in crime levels since 2020, his last presidential year? Add to it a provocative claim about Kamala Harris, “She wants to release all the prisoners that are in detention, and some of these guys are really bad. That just came out today” and you have successfully created a sense of impending doom.

Trump, The Rescuer

Trump is relying on honest Americans to believe that their entitlements are being eaten away by outsiders. Thus, he makes exaggerated claims like, “You have millions of people coming in a month” and “I believe it’s over 20 million people came into our country” about illegal immigrants. He wants people to believe that they are living under extraordinary circumstances by saying, “I think we have the worst inflation we’ve had in 100 years. They say it’s 48 years, I don’t believe it”. Shrinking entitlements being further nibbled on by outsiders-which one of us, narcissist or not, would find that desirable?

People need to despair for the narcissist to, then, brandishing his exaggerated belief in self, come in for the rescue. Trump wants people to believe that he, and only he, can solve these crises. Just the way only he could “solve” the Iran and China crises for the United States. “Iran was broke because I told China, ‘If you buy from Iran…’ Oil, it’s all about the oil, that’s where the money is. ‘…If you buy oil from Iran, you’re not going to do any business with the United States.’ And I meant it, and they said, ‘We’ll pass,’ and they didn’t buy oil.” America can be made great again only when it is unequivocally established that it is in ruins. And it can be made great again only by Trump.

Trump’s conversation with Musk, therefore, needs to be seen not as a “rambling” one which has significantly undermined his presidential prospects but as a tested strategy aimed at his constituents and swing voters. Whether it will fetch him a repeat of the 2016 outcome remains to be seen. 
Till then, let’s get lost in the meandering world of storytelling. 

(Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Earlier this week, a disturbing video emerged from the UK, in which a young Asian boy could be seen being kicked and punched while he lay defenceless on the floor of Manchester Airport. Most reports said that three Greater Manchester police officers were first assaulted – one of whom was left with a broken nose – and that this led to the police response. One officer has been suspended after the incident – which, by the way, the right-wing Reform Party took no time in politicising as it praised the police action. 

No national outrage followed the incident, barring some feeble debate about the alleged police brutality. Had a similar act been committed by an Indian police officer, the Western media would likely have judged the entire police force, emphasising India’s poor human rights records.

Akhmed Yakoob, the lawyer for the Asian boy, described it as police brutality against people from BAME (British Asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds. A few people took to streets to protest the police action as the incident reminded them of the George Floyd assault in 2020, which spurred the Black Lives Matter movement across the West.  

Racism, discrimination, and misogyny within Britain’s police forces are pervasive. Last year, after a year-long official review of London’s Met Police, reviewer Baroness Casey stated, “the force suffers from institutional racism, misogyny, and homophobia”, further adding that “it was time for the force not to be in denial about these deep-rooted issues”.

The Many Types Of Racism

Racism is not a feature limited to the police forces alone in the UK. Several recent official reports have highlighted racism in some premier British institutions, including the BBC, the armed forces, and various government offices. All of these are controlled primarily by White males. For non-Whites, reaching top positions in these institutions is next to impossible, and if at all that happens, it’s mostly just tokenism. Greg Dyke, former director-general of the BBC, famously said in 2001 that the media house was “hideously White”, highlighting the lack of diversity within its workforce at the time. His comment sparked a broader conversation about the representation of ethnic minorities in British media and other institutions. True, some improvements have been made since then, but not a lot.

Also Read | Racism Reducing My Desire To Play Football: Brazil’s Vinicius Junior

There is overt racism too, which comes alive during the 10 months of the football season (August-May) across Europe. I am a football fanatic and an avid follower of European club football; not only have I witnessed racism first-hand in and outside stadiums, but I have also been at the receiving end of it. After being called a “Paki” or a “chutney” on occasion,  I now prefer to watch matches on TV.

Even so, there is little guarantee you will be spared because you are watching the match in the company of your White mates. But even as I say so, I’ve managed to escape the worst of racism. Think of those Black players who suffer humiliation and inhuman treatment from fans of rival teams on a daily basis. Some call them “monkeys”, and throw bananas at them. 

Colonialism, Slavery and Subjugation

White, western racism has persisted for decades, even centuries. The Western hemisphere calls itself ‘civilised’, a notion perpetuated by media, writers, academics and leaders, who position themselves as champions of bringing ‘civilisation’ to third-world countries. One form of that ‘civilising’ role was donned by religious missionaries long ago, who believed the people outside of Christendom needed to be “led to the right path”.

Historical figures like Rudyard Kipling and Winston Churchill have espoused these ideas. The former’s The White Man’s Burden promoted this self-espoused ‘colonial duty’ to civilise colonised societies. Churchill once said, “I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America, or the black people of Australia… by the fact that a stronger race, a higher grade race… has come in and taken their place.” Churchill, who is seen in India as racist and imperialist, is Britain’s – more specifically England’s national hero.

Also Read | With Kamala Harris, Democrats Would Bet Against US History Of Sexism, Racism

More recently, Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, said in 2019, “We are the guardians of a civilisation that has been developed over millennia… We are the ones who have built the modern world, who have built the West, who have built the European Union. We are the ones who have written the rulebook of the world.” The statement does not only reflect Hungarian Prime Minister’s arrogance but also exposes him as an ignorant fool. Sadly, this arrogance is endemic in the West. 

Western Hypocrisy 

In this same context, the speech made by US President George W. Bush in November 2003 during his official visit to London was interesting. “The United States and Great Britain share a mission: to bring the values of freedom and democracy to the world… We will not be deterred. We will not be defeated. We will bring freedom and civilisation to the world,” he said. 

Bush’s comments came several months after the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The two “civilised” nations, the US and the UK, had invaded a faraway country to civilise its people by implanting democracy there and imparting Western values. However, getting rid of weapons of mass destruction was the rationale presented to the world. The entire Western media jumped on to the ‘civilising’ narrative, completely disregarding their duty to question the real reason behind the invasion. Ultimately, no weapons of mass destruction were found. It was all a pack of lies, spread by the “most civilised country in the world”.

‘The Greatest, The Most Powerful’

Who can forget the gaffe by President Donald Trump – the commander in chief of the world’s deadliest military force and the President of the most powerful country – when he mistakenly claimed to have met the “President of the Virgin Islands”, not realising it was a U.S. territory? How can we expect Trump to know about the ancient civilisations of India, China, Syria and Egypt, when he isn’t sure of the geography of his own country? And yet, Trump once confidently stated in 2017, “We are the greatest country in the world. If you think about it, we are the greatest. We’re the greatest because of our values, because of our principles, because of our Constitution, because of our system of government, because of our economic system. We’re the greatest because we’re a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.”

Also Read | UK PM “Hurt” After Far-Right Party Campaigner’s Racist Slurs For Him

The West’s superiority complex and its fervid need to civilise others continue to shape attitudes and policies. The challenge is to recognise and dismantle these deep-seated prejudices. While Tuesday’s incident at Manchester Airport may not have the severity of some past events, it still is an example of systemic racism and the West’s inflated self-image poisoning institutions. These issues require continuous scrutiny and action to foster a more equitable society. Indeed, several laws have been passed in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, and things have got better compared to where we stood in the 20th century. But legislation is barely enough. One needs to change the mindset, right from schools and police forces to media houses and private institutions.

(Syed Zubair Ahmed is a London-based senior Indian journalist with three decades of experience with the Western media)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

“We did it, Joe,” exclaimed the 49th Vice-President of the United States four years ago-the phrase becoming a war cry of sorts, coming from a half-Black, half-Indian woman, married to a Jewish-American man. This moment became a landmark in the sociopolitical history of the US. For all its celebratory moments, American democracy has a long way to go in terms of representation and inclusivity. When it comes to women, the gender schemas work as effectively in the oldest democracy of the world as it does in the emergent ones to keep women away from the high table. 

Can Kamala Harris be successful in the Holy Grail pursuit of occupying the Oval Office? The odds are stacked against her, starting from the delayed announcement of her candidature. With less than a month to go for the Democratic convention to secure her name on the ticket, Harris has a mountain to climb. The funding numbers are encouraging but the money can go only thus far in attitudinal and ideological battles. 

Women And Politics

To begin with, there is a problem with the recall. Studies (J Hitchon & C Chang, 1995) have revealed that voters recall women candidates in terms of their family and appearance and their men counterparts in terms of campaign activities. Harris understands that and has made this tendency work for her by highlighting her family background. However, in a deeply polarised American society which is in the throes of backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), this strategy may not work as desired any longer. 

Also Read | Indian Americans In Offices Not Reflective Of Their Population: Kamala Harris

American women have been consistently voting at a higher rate than men for more than four decades now. They are certainly not less political than men. Yet, even they are not sending enough women to political offices. Women candidates continue to get penalised for expressing emotions, particularly anger. Harris has been trying to keep her ‘anger’ in check, often descending into banalities in her public speeches. She has become a constant fodder for the meme factory. Whether this is a carefully crafted strategy, only time will tell.   

“Too Coloured”, “Not Coloured Enough”

Harris was only the second Black woman elected to the US Senate in the history of the country. This tells the world something that the Americans cannot be proud of. “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman,” said Malcolm X in 1962. Per some critical indices like education, healthcare, wages et al, the observation holds even today. Harris has come a long way jumping over fiery hoops of racial and gender discrimination. Her win in the presidential polls will be a bigger moment than Barack Obama’s presidency in terms of America’s race issue. A decade after the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement first made its appearance on social media, American society continues to struggle to find the golden equilibrium. The anti-DEI rabble-rousers have now found effective means to punish individuals and institutions that do not toe supremacist lines.

Watch | “She’s Experienced, Tough, Capable”: Joe Biden Praises Kamala Harris

But Harris is not just Black, she’s also half-Indian and the country celebrated her from New Delhi to Chennai as its prodigal daughter. With a steadily growing population in the US over the years, Indians have emerged as a group with political aspirations. Indian community’s cultural, regional and religious associations have played an important role in increasing the political heft of Indian Americans. The flip side of this is the growing resentment among the fraudulently so-called originals-the Whites-against powerful immigrant communities. Ironically, even Black Americans harbour some resentment against immigrant communities that have reached the upper rungs of the socio-economic ladder. While this is sociologically ‘natural’, people like Harris are peculiarly affected. She’s coloured but not adequately so for some.

A Course-Correction Too Late

2024 is no 2018, when a surge for Democrats in general and women candidates in particular, sent Democratic women politicians of different ethnicities like Debra Haaland and Sharice Davids (Native American); Ayanna Pressley and Jahana Hayes (Women of Colour); Veronica Escobar, Sylvia R. Garcia, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Latinas) to the Congress. The Republican campaign is bolstered by many a foreign policy faux pas of the Biden administration, the most important one being its role in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Even the captive Democratic voter is expressing dissent. The assassination attempt on Donald Trump has catapulted his already strong chances. 

Choosing Harris over Biden is a tactical course-correction for Democrats, but it may have come a bit too late in the day. Her strengths may not get optimised, her weaknesses are for all to see. As her V-P tenure goes, she has all the blame to carry but no benefits to reap.

Harris has the unenviable position of being the woman who cleans up after a man. If she emerges triumphant, it will be her personal victory, not that of the party. 

(Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

New York:

Bob Newhart, the American stand-up performer whose comedy made him one of the top TV stars of his era, has died, his publicist announced Thursday. He was 94 years old.

The decorated Chicago icon was an accountant before striking gold with comedy, acclaimed for his dry, deadpan delivery.

He died at his Los Angeles home after a series of short illnesses, his longtime publicist Jerry Digney said in a statement.

Born September 5, 1929 in suburban Illinois, Newhart studied business management before being drafted into the US army, and served in the Korean War.

He briefly studied law before quitting and getting work as an accountant while moonlighting as a comedy performer and writer.

He eventually was signed to Warner Bros. Records, and “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” became the music industry’s first comedy album to hit the top of the sales charts.

It earned him prestigious Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Album, and helped launch his career in television.

He starred in two long-running sitcoms in the 1970s and 1980s, and made guest star appearances into his 90s.

Newhart featured as a recurring guest on “The Big Bang Theory,” and also starred as Papa Elf in the Christmas film “Elf.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

U.S. President Joe Biden. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The United States will recognize the independence of the Cook Islands and Niue, two small Pacific nations, President Joe Biden said on September 25, confirming an earlier announcement by officials.

Mr. Biden spoke ahead of a summit with Pacific island leaders this week, part of a U.S. charm offensive to block further Chinese inroads into a strategic region Washington has long considered its own backyard.

In a statement, Mr. Biden said the United States had a long history of cooperation with the Cook Islands, dating back to World War II, when the U.S. military built airport runways on one of the chain’s atolls.

“Today’s announcement will enable us to expand the scope of this enduring partnership as we seek to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples’ lives,” he said.

The White House said the summit will focus on priorities including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health and countering illegal fishing.