POSTED: MAY 1, 2026
This week I was in a rather low-end bar to see a friend perform some of her original music, and as it was a small place I arrived early to get a good table. While I ordered what turned out to be a rather unmemorable meal and warm beer, I watched a small group of young people huddled around a vintage pinball machine. It looked like it was from the 1960’s. Its form and function were classic. The pin ball would come out the top and the player would use the controls to flick paddles at strategic times and with sufficient conviction to make the ball rebound back up and to score points by hitting various sensors. Lights and noise would occur indicating the positive results of the players impeccable timing. In terms of new generation video games, this was a very basic game – no one shooting at you when you are trying to execute a move, for example.
The machine a player would have to feed with money for each play but if certain levels of scores were achieved it would result in a free beer or glass of wine, and for higher scores a free bottle of wine, or shot of liquor. It seemed from the records recorded no one had yet hit the level in one day to get to the top category for a free bottle of vintage scotch.
As a game it is not very positive. At best you are hoping to delay the ball making it to its ultimate destination at the bottom but that would eventually happen of course. Its also somewhat personal in that you are playing against the machine and not against another human opponent other than comparing your total score with that someone else.
Even in legend, like The Who’s Pinball Wizard, the triumph of a good play is overshadowed by the ultimate result – the failure to keep the ball in the game- it will always find its resting place at the bottom of the machine.
I have never been much of pinball player, but while watching the various players take their turns a micro epiphany occurred.
Trump views everything as a pinball game. Something of a pinball management style. He does not really have an end game, just a strategy to throw the ball out there and then react to what is happening, try to make it work for his own ends and along the way, get some points. In his case it is financial benefits and ego points but once that ball hits the bottom – well it’s only a game! Let’s play again! We have seen this in his late and too limited support for Ukraine, his perspective on Venezuela, taunting of Canada and Norway, ending long term supportive relationships with Nato allies, and rolling the dice on Israels expansionary plans in Gaza, and now Iran.
And if it all goes badly? Well, it’s just a game. Put in your (Americas) money and play again.
Of course, the rest of us have to live with the result of his actions but now that I can put his behaviour in perspective I can at least stop trying to figure it out. There is no plan. It is a game. He does not care about the outcome.
Django
P.S. After writing this piece, it occurred to me that there is an even darker side to this pinball analogy. Trump may see himself not as a skilled pinball player but instead as the pinball, just reacting to what comes but always making it through to the bottom no matter what obstacles are in his way.