The term to Trump someone literally means to outsmart them/beat them.
'To Trump' also means 'to fart.' Not sure that's the argument you want to make.
The right: Trump is the most productive president ever and will save the country!
That's just not the case. Trump has a cult. Most of the left hate him for the obvious, most of the right hate him because he is incompetent. A lot of what he says just isn't Republican, and even what he does that they can support he does poorly, such as the travel ban. The issues with that weren't political, no one can deny the roll-out was a mess, no one had a clue what they were meant to do, or who it applied to, and he evidently didn't even check to see if it was constitutional. His administration seems to be picked on a dare out of the most uniquely unqualified individuals: nothing to do with politics, all to do with how their qualifications stack up to the office they hold. A lot of the right hate him at least as much as the left.
You saw that in the election, established Republicans spoke against him, and a lot of his voters would vote for the Republican party if Satan himself was on the ticket, they vote for the party not the person. That cult mentality is what's killing the US of A. Democrats vote Democrat, Republicans vote Republican, Trump only won because he pulled non-voters who were fans of his brand (and a lot of them only one because he sues anyone that tries to spread much negative about him, he's a narcissist), just like Obama only won because he pulled in black people who wouldn't normally vote. With that cult mentality, elections are down to brands and if there's no brand, chance.
He is intelligent, very much so at what he is good at.
What he is good at is not politics. Intelligent is a stretch, he knows a handful of tricks that went well, and his business strategy is closer to throwing things at a wall to see what sticks. he made so many companies and put his name on so many things one was bound to net a profit, while everything else from Trump steaks to Trump Magazine vanished from record. You don't remember the failures.
Trump is emblematic of everything that is wrong with the US political system. It's about brands, not ability, and not policy. So was Clinton, but at least she wouldn't treat the office of President like a reality TV show.
We need to dissolve the Democrats and the Republicans, and Libertarians and Greens and every other existing party. We need strict term laws on more than just the President, we need endorsement bans so people don't just do as they're told, we need prohibitions on political dynasties. We need a system not run by cults.
Look at a checklist of cult criteria
http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm- The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
- Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
- The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel
- The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members
- The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
- The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).
- The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group
- The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
- The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
- The group is preoccupied with making money.
- Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
- Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.
That is one of the most accurate descriptions of the political climate I've seen.
All of the above are relevant to some degree, and the bolded most of all. It's a textbook cult.