I keep running into news stories that provide more evidence that we have a reality show president, that the only thing that matters is how things look.

Trump’s meeting with Zohran Mandami was cordial. This shouldn’t have happen, Trump had been treating him as an enemy. And Mandami had even called him a fascist. But because Mandami is so successful politically and so well regarded, Trump fawned. He went so far as to change his look, and copy Mandami’s turtleneck the next day.

Trump’s meeting with MBS was another master class of fawning. Trump is impressed by wealth, it didn’t matter that our intelligence services have evidence that he murdered someone. What does that matter when money is involved? (I say, channeling what I think Trump would say.) And they together made up a claim that the Saudis would invest $1 trillion in the US. That claim isn’t real, it won’t happen. Yes, the Saudis are rich, but they don’t have $1 trillion. But what does that matter when you can claim it to be true?

And I see a headlines on the Bulwark that support my assertion of a reality show president:

-Trump’s one weird trick for eliminating bad news: delete it

Plus of course, the gilding of the Oval Office and the building of the new ballroom. Appearances are important to a reality show president!