Washington: The Trump brain and its fabulous functioning will fascinate researchers long after POTUS 45 leaves the Oval Office. But as he arrives, we can only wonder at where Donald Trump sits on a great American continuum - at one end, sweet innocence and Willy Wonka; at the other, the ethical netherworld of Don Corleone.

There's an element of the Wonka chocolate factory in the crowds that queue around the block at Trump Tower in Manhattan, patient and wide-eyed as they wait to shell out $US100, even $US200, for a swag of hot new presidential memorabilia at the gift kiosk, which is sandwiched between the Trump Ice Cream Parlour and the Trump Grill on the ground floor.

There are little chocolate bricks with "Trump" stamped on their foil wrappings; and sweaters, towels and glassware - all with a discreet Trump monogram. Fans can't leave without a MAGA baseball cap - Make America Great Again. There's even a Trump cologne for men - it's called Success.

But there are shades of The Godfather in how the Trump family permeates the business, the business permeates the presidency and the presidency permeates the family. And in defence of all this, the emerging argument, implied as much as stated, is that the Trumps ought to be trusted to do the right thing - and hiding in plain sight behind that, a dismissive "we don't care if you don't".

So, sons Eric and Donald jnr and daughter Ivanka help to run the executive overseeing Dad's transition to power; but the kids, we were told, were to be taking the running of the business off Dad's hands. The daughter moves seamlessly from Dad's meetings with foreign leaders, to Dad's meetings with foreign business partners.

While the daughter vets would-be cabinet members, her staff tend to an unprecedented new line in presidential product placement. And as a power behind Dad's throne, the daughter's husband, Jared Kushner, wants to be a White House adviser - and despite the obvious nepotism, he'll most likely get the gig, because Dad thinks he's capable of negotiating an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal - after he's purged the transition team of those he suspects as disloyal interlopers.

We had a window into this family-first ethic in son Eric's priorities while commenting to CNN on Mike Pence's performance in the vice-presidential candidate's debate in October: "I really think he represented the family, and I think he represented the party incredibly, incredibly well tonight."

The family firm is booming - as Trump said this week, his stunning victory makes the Trump brand "hotter". The newest property, Trump International Hotel in Washington's old Post Office building, is booked out - and fawning foreign diplomatic delegations most likely will keep it that way.

As Trump flits between his Manhattan skyscraper; a New Jersey golf club, the entrance to which reminds him of 10 Downing Street; and his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, which The New York Times likens to the Palace of Versailles, the President-elect keeps the firm's key brands in the public eye - ka-ching!

Meanwhile, business partners from Baku in Azerbaijan to Mumbai in India congratulate themselves on their very good foresight in getting into business with a realtor who they can't have seriously countenanced would become leader of the free world - ka-ching! ka-ching!

 

David Fuller's view

I don’t know if Trump will be impeached eventually or rated as one of America’s better presidents, but it will certainly be interesting.

(See also: Trump's Presidency, Overseas Business Deals And Relations With Foreign Governments Could All Become Intertwined, from The Washington Post)