COLUMN: Trump Admits He Ran for the Sake of His Ego and Persists in the 2020 Lie

700 boxes of documents to prove… what, exactly?

Since returning to power a year ago, Trump has launched a full-scale campaign of revenge. The Department of Justice has been tasked with reopening the 2020 case. And on January 28, the FBI raided Fulton County, Georgia, to seize 700 boxes of election documents. 700 boxes. Ballots, voter rolls—anything that, according to Trump, could prove the fraud he’s been denouncing for four years. Except that this fraud doesn’t exist. It never existed. Investigations have been conducted, appeals have been rejected, and no evidence has ever been found. But Trump doesn’t care. He wants his truth, not the truth.

I watch these images of the FBI carrying away boxes and wonder where this is headed. How far will he go to satisfy his wounded ego? How many federal resources will be wasted on this ghost hunt? And above all, how long before Americans realize they’re being governed by a man who isn’t seeking to serve them, but to exact revenge?

Nationalizing Elections: Trump’s Authoritarian Fantasy

But Trump doesn’t stop there. He has repeatedly raised the idea of “nationalizing” U.S. elections—an idea that runs counter to the Constitution, which entrusts the organization of elections to the 50 states. Why this obsession? Because Trump wants to control the electoral process. He wants to ensure that he will never lose an election again. Or at least, that he will never be able to lose without being able to challenge the result. This is an authoritarian drift that worries Democrats and civil liberties advocates. But Trump couldn’t care less. The Constitution? A technicality.

We’re talking about a president who wants to rewrite the rules of the game because he lost once. Just once. And he finds that unbearable. It’s pathetic, but it’s also dangerous. Because if Trump succeeds in centralizing electoral power, the entire American democracy will be shaken to its core. And we won’t be able to say we didn’t know. He’s telling us straight to our faces. He’s showing us exactly what he wants to do.

When a Man’s Psychology Becomes a National Problem

What’s striking about Trump’s statements is their brutal candor. “I needed it for my own ego.” How many politicians would dare say that? How many would admit that their ambition isn’t to serve, but to shine? Trump, for his part, says it. And he says it without shame. Because for him, it’s normal. It even makes sense. He has built his entire life on his image, his brand, his name. The presidency is just an extension of that—one more trophy, one more victory to feed the outsized ego that defines him. The problem is that this ego has consequences—for democracy, for institutions, and for citizens’ trust.

I sometimes wonder if Trump realizes what he’s doing. If he understands that his words carry weight. That his actions have consequences. Or if, deep down, he simply doesn’t care at all. As long as his ego is satisfied, as long as he can look in the mirror and tell himself he’s won, nothing else matters. It’s terrifying to think that such a narcissistic man has so much power.

Four years later, Trump still refuses to accept reality

In 2020, Trump lost to Joe Biden. The numbers are clear: Biden won the popular vote and the Electoral College. The courts have validated the results. The legal challenges have been rejected. But Trump continues to talk about fraud. About rigging. About theft. He even claimed at the National Prayer Breakfast that the election had been “rigged.” Four years later. Four years of repeated lies, conspiracy theories, and disinformation. And it’s working. A significant portion of his voters believes him. They truly think Biden stole the election. That’s the real danger. Not Trump himself, but the erosion of trust in the democratic system that he’s causing.

I’m tired of this lie. Tired of seeing Trump repeat the same thing over and over, as if repetition could turn a lie into the truth. And the worst part is that it’s working. People end up believing it. Because he says it with such conviction, such confidence, that you start to wonder if he might actually be right. But no. He’s wrong. He’s lying. And he knows it.

When the opposition no longer knows how to respond

Faced with Trump, the Democrats seem overwhelmed. They denounce, they express outrage, they sound the alarm. But nothing works. Trump carries on. He presses ahead. He uses the Department of Justice as his personal weapon. He mobilizes the FBI for his vendettas. He threatens to nationalize the elections. And the Democrats? They issue statements. They hold press conferences. But in practice, there’s nothing they can do. Because Trump holds the power. He holds the presidency. He controls the levers of government. And he uses them without scruples. Civil liberties advocates are sounding the alarm, but who’s really listening to them?

I feel a sense of helplessness watching all this. It’s as if we’re witnessing an accident in slow motion, unable to do anything to prevent it. The Democrats are stuck. They can’t stop Trump. All they can do is document his abuses, hoping that history will judge him. But history is decades away. And in the meantime, democracy is cracking right now.

When Religion Becomes a Backdrop for the Ego

The National Prayer Breakfast is supposed to be a time for reflection, spirituality, and coming together across political divides. But Trump turned it into a platform for his ego. He talked about himself, his victories, and his “big ego.” He insulted a Republican congressman, Thomas Massie, by calling him a “moron.” He claimed he had a place in heaven. All of this in front of religious leaders and dignitaries who had come to pray. It would almost be comical if it weren’t so sad. Trump has no respect for anything—not institutions, not traditions, not even sacred moments. Anything goes when it comes to talking about himself. Everything is an excuse to put himself in the spotlight.

I wonder what the people in the room are thinking. Those who came to pray, who were hoping for a moment of peace and reflection. And who find themselves listening to Trump talk about his ego for twenty minutes. It’s surreal. It’s almost insulting. But that’s Trump. And Trump never changes.

When Winning Just Once Is Enough to Rewrite History

In 2024, Trump defeated Kamala Harris. He won both the popular vote and the Electoral College. A clear, indisputable victory. And for Trump, this is proof that he was right all along. Proof that 2020 was rigged. Because if he won in 2024, it means he should have won in 2020. That’s his logic. Twisted, but consistent in his mind. He cannot accept that he lost. So he rewrites history. He turns his defeat into a stolen victory. And his 2024 victory becomes proof of his 2020 lie. It’s brilliant in its perversity. And terrifying in its consequences.

I watch Trump revel in his 2024 victory and I tell myself that he’ll never stop. He’ll never admit to having lost in 2020. Because for him, losing is like dying. It’s accepting that he’s a loser. And Trump cannot be a loser. So he lies. He lies to everyone. He lies to himself. And the saddest part is that he ends up believing it himself.

When a Confession Becomes a Warning

Trump’s remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast are not insignificant. They reveal something profound and disturbing: a president who admits to having sought power for his own personal ego; a president who refuses to accept a defeat that has been upheld by every court; a president who uses government resources to rewrite history. This is the reality of America in 2026. A country led by a man whose ego is more important than democracy. And the scariest part is that no one seems able to stop him. The institutions are holding out, but for how long? The Democrats are protesting, but how effectively? Trump is pressing ahead. He’s imposing his version of the truth. And little by little, American democracy is cracking under the weight of his narcissism.

I don’t know how this story will end. I don’t know if Trump will eventually admit the truth about 2020. I don’t know if Americans will eventually wake up. But what I do know is that we are witnessing something serious. Something that goes beyond Trump himself. Democracy is at stake. And it’s losing. Not because of a revolution, not because of a coup. But because of the ego of a single man. It’s pathetic. It’s tragic. And it’s happening right before our eyes.

Signed, Jacques Provost