Rumours whirl over Trump Lady Macbeth

Is ambition a curse? Donald Trump’s supporter Laura Loomer seems to be getting ever closer to him — and is being compared to one of Shakespeare’s most infamous characters.

Striding across the golf course, Donald TrumpAn American television personality who became US president from 2016 to 2020. He is running to be president again in 2024. finds three strange-looking women huddling in a bunker near the 13th hole. “Get these weird dames out of here!” he growls to his bodyguard. But then one of the women steps forward and raises a skinny hand: “All hail, Donald,” she says, “that shall be president hereafter!”

“Hm,” says Trump. “Maybe there’s something in this! Have them meet me in the clubhouse later.”

This modern version of Macbeth may be fantasy, but some believe that there are real parallels to be found with Trump’s presidential campaign.

In ShakespeareAn English playwright and poet who is often called the greatest writer in the English language. ’s play, Macbeth is tempted by the witches to believe that he can become king of Scotland. But to do so he must murder the existing king — and when he hesitates, it is his wife who persuades him to carry out the bloody deed.

Lady Macbeth has become a symbol of the ambitious woman who pushes her husband or lover to behave in a terrible way. And although the exact nature of Laura Loomer’s relationship with Donald Trump is unclear, she is seen by some as equally influential.

Loomer is known as a right-wing conspiracy theoristA person who believes that some secret but influential organisation is responsible for a particular event or phenomenon. . After a school shooting in Florida in 2018, in which 17 people were killed, she visited the scene and claimed that there was a conspiracy to make Americans give up their guns.

She has called Islam “a cancer” and used the hashtag “#proudislamophobe”. When it was reported that over 2,000 migrants had died trying to cross the Mediterranean in 2017, she posted on Twitter: “Good. Here’s to 2,000 more.”¹

She was subsequently banned from Twitter, but reinstated by Elon MuskA South African-born entrepreneur whose companies have included the online payment service PayPal., and now has over 1.2 million followers. She recently posted that if Kamala Harris, who is partly Indian, won the election, the White House would “smell like curry”.

None of this seems to worry Donald Trump. Loomer has visited him at least nine times at his Florida estate,² and travelled with him on his private plane to his debate against Harris. She then accompanied him to two 9/11A series of terrorist attacks that took place in the USA on 11 September 2001. It is known as 9/11 as Americans write the month first, and then the date. The attacks killed 2,996 people. Many of them died when two planes were hijacked and hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing them to collapse. memorial events — despite having claimed that the attacks on that day were an “inside job”.

Loomer has attacked Republican partyAlso known as the Grand Old Party or GOP, it is one of the USA’s two major political parties. Its first president was Abraham Lincoln. It sits on the right of the political spectrum. politicians for being insufficiently loyal to Trump, and even ran against one — CongressmanA member of the US Congress, the lawmaking body of the United States. It is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Daniel Webster — in the 2022 elections. When she lost, she claimed the vote had been rigged.

Trump’s son, Donald Jnr, has suggested that his father should make Loomer his press secretary if he wins the election.³ But many other Republicans see the liaison as potentially disastrous. One, SenatorA politician who has been elected to a body called a Senate. In the US, one of the two houses of Congress is the Senate. Ancient Rome also had a senate and senators. Thom Tillis, has called Loomer “a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans”.

But Tillis may be underestimating her. In his new book Fair or Foul: The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition, Stefan Stern notes that Lady Macbeth is sometimes thought of as purely evil. But, he argues, “she is much more interesting and complicated than that… she has a much more sophisticated understanding of human nature, and society, than she is often given credit for”.

Is ambition a curse?

Schemer’s dreams

Yes: It can never be fully satisfied, so those who have it are condemned to a life of frustration and unhappiness. It drives people to do appalling things and puts a huge strain on their relationships.

No: We need ambition to drive us forward and nothing would be achieved without it: talent on its own is useless. People can be as ambitious in a good way as Lady Macbeth is in a bad one.

Or… As Stefan Stern says, it is “natural for individuals to want to achieve more and improve the condition of their lives… And yet excesses of ambition, and selfish ambition, can clearly do a lot of harm”.

Keywords

Donald Trump – An American television personality who became US president from 2016 to 2020. He is running to be president again in 2024.

Shakespeare – An English playwright and poet who is often called the greatest writer in the English language.

Conspiracy theorist – A person who believes that some secret but influential organisation is responsible for a particular event or phenomenon.

Elon Musk – A South African-born entrepreneur whose companies have included the online payment service PayPal.

9/11 – A series of terrorist attacks that took place in the USA on 11 September 2001. It is known as 9/11 as Americans write the month first, and then the date. The attacks killed 2,996 people. Many of them died when two planes were hijacked and hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing them to collapse.

Republican Party – Also known as the Grand Old Party or GOP, it is one of the USA’s two major political parties. Its first president was Abraham Lincoln. It sits on the right of the political spectrum.

Congressman – A member of the US Congress, the lawmaking body of the United States. It is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Senator – A politician who has been elected to a body called a Senate. In the US, one of the two houses of Congress is the Senate. Ancient Rome also had a senate and senators.