Stop admiring misconduct

“I’m not for Trump, but you have to admit: he campaigned brilliantly!” These are the kinds of comments you hear regularly in response to Trump’s election victory. It’s reminiscent of the admiration for a chess player who wins by secretly moving chess pieces when his opponent isn’t looking. Is that ‘brilliant play’? Of course not. Yet a former president who spread more than 30,000 demonstrable lies during his term is praised for his ‘strategic insight’. This perverse logic, in which effectiveness is confused with excellence, is eroding the foundations of the American democratic constitutional state. And that of other countries if we're not careful and stop admiring misconduct.

The Lie of the 'Stolen' Election

Take, for example, his persistent lie that the 2020 election was “stolen.” Without any evidence (despite extensive investigation), Trump convinced millions of Americans that there had been massive fraud. The result? A storming of the Capitol and a lasting undermining of trust in democratic institutions. And what do we hear? “He speaks the language of the people! Very clever how he knows how to mobilize people.” It’s like praising an athlete who uses doping because he was so “clever” to circumvent the tests.

Admiration for misbehavior

The glorification of bad behavior has far-reaching consequences. First, it shifts our moral compass: we begin to value “effectiveness” over truth and ethics. When a leader achieves his goals through false propaganda, it is not seen as a moral failure but as a tactical success. This sets a dangerous precedent. It is like a soccer match where the best team no longer wins, but the team that is best at misleading the referee.

Normalizing Deception: Integrity is Optional

Secondly, it normalizes this behavior. Young politicians and leaders are given the message: integrity is optional, as long as you get ‘results’. We can already see it happening: more and more politicians are resorting to disinformation and polarizing rhetoric, simply because it ‘works’. Just like a child who sees cheating go unpunished, they learn: honesty is for losers.

The Long-Term Damage of Lies

Another thing you hear is: “But if it’s effective, isn’t it smart?” This argument ignores the long-term damage that manipulation does. A democracy can only function on the basis of shared reality and mutual trust. Every ‘successful’ lie further undermines this foundation. It’s like a card game where more and more players secretly mark cards – eventually no one wants to play anymore.

Stop praising cheating

What can we do? First, stop praising manipulative “success.” When someone calls Trump’s tactics “brilliant,” point out the costs: polarized communities, eroded trust, damaged institutions. When someone says “he’s playing the game smart,” respond, “No, he’s destroying the game.” Second, support honesty. Support leaders who have the courage to stick to the truth, even when it’s complex or unpopular.

Integrity as a true strength

Because ultimately, it is not a sign of strength to distort the truth. It is not a sign of strategic insight to lie systematically. Just as a true athletic achievement is only worthy of admiration if it is achieved honestly, political success is only worthy of respect if it is achieved with integrity. True leaders build trust by demonstrating integrity, not by perfecting manipulation. It is time our definition of ‘success’ reflects this.