Nothing Donald Trump says makes me think of Howard Roark.

From The Fountainhead: Chapter XI: Howard Roark to Gail Wynand:

"And isn't that the root of every despicable action? Not selfishness, but precisely the absence of a self."

"I don't see anything evil in a desire to make money. But money is only a means to some end. If a man wants it for a personal purpose—to invest in his industry, to create, to study, to travel, to enjoy luxury—he's completely moral. But the men who place money first go much beyond that. Personal luxury is a limited endeavor. What they want is ostentation: to show, to stun, to entertain, to impress others. They're second-handers."

"A truly selfish man cannot be affected by the approval of others."

"It's easy to run to others. It's so hard to stand on one's own record. You can fake virtue for an audience. You can't fake it in your own eyes. Your ego is your strictest judge. They run from it. They spend their lives running. It's easier to donate a few thousand to charity and think oneself noble than to base self-respect on personal standards of personal achievement. It's simple to seek substitutes for competence—such easy substitutes; love, charm, kindness, charity. But there is no substitute for competence."

"They have no concern for facts, ideas, work. They're concerned only with people. They don't ask: 'Is this true?' They ask: 'Is this what others think is true?' Not to judge, but to repeat. Not to do, but to give the impression of doing. Not creation, but show. Not ability, but friendship. Not merit, but pull."

"Listen to what is being preached today. Look at everyone around us. You've wondered why they suffer, why they seek happiness and never find it. If any man stopped and asked himself whether he's ever held a truly personal desire, he'd find the answer. He'd see that all his wishes, his efforts, his dreams, his ambitions are motivated by other men. He's not really struggling even for material wealth, but for the second-handers delusion—prestige. A stamp of approval, not his own. He can find no joy in the struggle and no joy when he has succeeded. He can't say about a single thing: 'This is what I wanted because I wanted it, not because it made my neighbors gape at me.' Then he wonders why he's unhappy."

"Every form of happiness is private. Our greatest moments are personal, self-motivated, not to be touched. […] I think the only cardinal evil on earth is that of placing your prime concern within other men. I've always demanded a certain quality in the people I liked. I've always recognized it at once—and it's the only quality I respect in men. I chose my friends by that. Now I know what it is. A self-sufficient ego. Nothing else matters."

A "self-sufficient ego" is not an attribute of Donald Trump.

The earlier original articles with good insights from Rob Tracinsky (also, Howard Roark was not based on Frank Lloyd Wright).

"Donald Trump Is an Ayn Rand Villain" April 12, 2016 http://tracinskiletter.com/2016/04/12...

"Everything Awful About the Trump Campaign in One Tweet" April 9, 2016 http://tracinskiletter.com/2016/04/09...

I doubt he even watched the film. Most likely it went something like this in his mind.

Isn't Ayn Rand some ultra conservative philosopher? Ya I think she is, what did she write that I can comment on.

Search on web

Hey there was a movie of this book in the fifties that was kinda popular. Rourke is the hero, hay I am a hero. I think I can spin in a comparison to me in a speech, that will get the Rand people to like me.

I am surprised only that there was not a quote from him "those followers of Ayn Rand, there good people" in this as it seems like he says that about everyone and shortly there after says something that makes the same group bad.

I do not think he even watched the movie.

I'm thinking Trump has little time for books and I'm supposing that Trump vaguely remembers that movie he saw maybe way back when.

I have to say that although I totally agree with Ayn Rand on philosophical grounds, her works are a bit hard and long and pedantic to read. AS#1 did a good job in film, but AS#2 and AS#3 were pretty boring examples of movies.

I wouldn't say that about his golf courses. Trump's golf courses definitely have a unique style.

Trump is far from being a total statist. On his website, Trump's detailed positions on health care reform, tax reform and gun rights are close to libertarian:
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions

"Sophomoric" also comes to mind.

Trump is like Roark in some ways, but like Peter Keating in more ways than he is like Roark.

Trump is more like construction's version of Dr. Stadler. He is excellent when it comes to architecture, both buildings and golf courses, but morally he has gone off track, particularly with regard to his use of cronyism and eminent domain.

The thing with Trump is that his crude, name-calling, over-the-top behavior and advocacy of economically-ignorant policies seems quite calculated, meaning he knows he's appealing to the worst emotions. I point out that while Reagan tried to appeal to the best in people, Trump appeals to the worst. No doubt he loves his country, But if he did so thoughtfully, he'd not want a country of people who were susceptible to his ignorant appeals.
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On Twitter follow Edward Hudgins @DrEdwardHudgins .

+5

Indeed. Howard Roark laughed.

"Roark would refuse to make a deal with someone that had nothing of value to offer in return."

Trump makes deals that have nothing of value in return? Really? Disagree.

Thank you.

Toohey was FOR the establishment; Trump is anti-establishment. Listen to his speeches.

A Keating comparison would be valid as well. In this short piece I focused on Wynand because he, like Trump, built business empires and were flamboyant figures. But yes, wanting the unthinking adulation of other was more Keating. One difference though is that Trump does want adulation for some actual achievements, e.g., becoming rich by building.
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On Twitter follow Edward Hudgins @DrEdwardHudgins .

Great idea. But I suspect the answer is a mixture of high school teachers and comic books.