Even the Devil Doesn’t Want to Make a Deal with Donald
Donald's Inferno
Donalds Inferno
In Dante’s Inferno, the First Circle of Hell — Limbo — holds the souls of those who led virtuous lives but were denied salvation due to circumstances beyond their control. It is quiet, almost serene, yet steeped in a permanent state of suspension: no fire, no torture — just unfulfilled potential and eternal waiting.
Enter Donald’s Limbo: a gold-plated hallway of stalled-out policies and theatrical plans that never quite made it past the podium. Here lie the ghostly remnants of Infrastructure Week, the Health Care Plan™, the border wall Mexico would pay for, and the ever-elusive Epstein declassifications. These broken promises float like phantoms in a perpetual spin cycle — repeated, rebranded, then abandoned.
Trump strolls through this circle nodding proudly at each failed initiative as if they were crown jewels. But the air here isn’t admiration — it’s apathy. Limbo in Donald’s Inferno is where ambition goes to look busy.
Trump’s Circle: Limbo, Lust, and the Legacy of Entitled Men
In Dante’s Inferno, the Second Circle of Hell is reserved for the lustful — those who surrendered reason to desire. Their punishment is poetic: souls are hurled endlessly through a violent storm, mirroring the way passion once tossed them through life without restraint. Dante meets figures like Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and Francesca da Rimini, whose stories of seduction and betrayal swirl in the wind, never finding rest.
In Trump’s Circle, this tempest takes on a modern form. Lust isn’t just physical — it’s performative, weaponized, and often shielded by power. Donald Trump’s legacy of entitlement fits squarely within this storm: from the Access Hollywood tape to his long-standing ties to Jeffrey Epstein, from dozens of sexual misconduct allegations to his public dismissal of accusers as “not my type.” These aren’t isolated moments — they’re part of a pattern where desire is wielded without consequence, and accountability is dodged with bravado.
Like Dante’s sinners, Trump’s lust is not about love — it’s about control. And in this circle, the winds don’t care about ratings or rallies. They toss the entitled, the unrepentant, and the powerful who mistook indulgence for immunity.
Circle Three: Gluttony — The Buffet of Bottomless Grievance
In Dante’s vision, gluttons are punished with filth because they made gods of their appetites. In Trump’s descent, the appetite isn’t for food — it’s for adoration, airtime, and grievance. This is the circle where indulgence becomes identity.
Trump’s gluttony is televised:
Rallies that stretch for hours, feeding on chants and fury.
Social media posts that demand constant validation, each one a snack of outrage.
Fast food feasts in the White House, served on silver platters to college athletes — not as hospitality, but as branding.
Endless lawsuits and press conferences, not to resolve anything, but to keep the spotlight fed.
The ground here is not mud — it’s a slurry of broken promises and reheated slogans. “I won in a landslide,” he mutters, chewing on a Big Mac made of subpoenas. Cerberus watches, unimpressed. Even the beast of gluttony knows when a meal is all filler.
This is the circle where truth is devoured, not digested, where indulgence becomes ritual. And where the hunger never ends — because the ego is never full.
Circle Four: Greed — The Gilded Weight of Want
In Dante’s Inferno, the Fourth Circle punishes those consumed by material obsession. In Trump’s Circle, greed is not just about wealth — it’s about self-enrichment through public office, branding power, and the illusion of success.
The Grift While Governing:
Trump refused to divest from his businesses, creating over 3,700 documented conflicts of interest during his presidency.
He visited his properties 547 times while in office, including Mar-a-Lago and Trump golf courses, often bringing foreign officials and lobbyists.
His campaign and political allies spent millions at Trump-owned venues, effectively funneling donor money into his private coffers.
Foreign governments and special interest groups hosted events at Trump properties, gaining access to administration officials while enriching the president.
Trump’s Qatari jet scandal — a $400 million luxury aircraft gifted by Qatar for personal use — raised alarms about foreign influence and blatant emoluments violations.
His crypto ventures, including the GENIUS Act, opened doors for presidential profiteering through stablecoins and meme coins, with critics warning of foreign bribery and unchecked enrichment.
The Culture of Greed: Greed here is institutional. Trump’s presidency blurred the line between governance and grift — turning the White House into a showroom for personal branding. His family profited from international deals, while regulatory safeguards were dismantled to ease the flow of money.
The Descent: Trump walks this circle surrounded by golden logos and unpaid invoices. The weights pushed by Dante’s sinners are now lawsuits, ethics violations, and broken contracts. Even Plutus, the ancient god of wealth, turns away — not because Trump’s greed is unfamiliar, but because it’s so brazenly televised.
Circle Five: Anger — The Eternal Grievance Machine
In Dante’s Inferno, the Fifth Circle punishes the wrathful and the sullen. The wrathful thrash and claw at each other on the surface of the River Styx, while the sullen — those who repressed their rage — lie submerged beneath the swamp, choking on their bitterness. It’s a place where fury becomes its prison, and silence is no escape.
In Trump’s Circle, anger isn’t just an emotion — it’s a strategy. Rage is curated, monetized, and broadcast. This is the circle where grievance becomes gospel, and every perceived slight is weaponized for political gain.
🔥 The Public Record of Rage
Rallies as rage rituals: Trump’s events often centered on vilifying opponents, journalists, immigrants, and even fellow Republicans. The crowd’s fury was stoked, not soothed.
Twitter tirades: Before his ban, Trump’s feed was a daily stream of insults, conspiracy theories, and personal attacks — often targeting private citizens, judges, and grieving families.
Attacks on institutions: From calling the press “the enemy of the people” to undermining the FBI, DOJ, and election officials, Trump’s anger was directed at any entity that challenged him.
January 6th: His rhetoric leading up to the Capitol riot — including “fight like hell” and repeated false claims of a stolen election — culminated in violence. The House impeached him for incitement.
The Culture of Contempt
This circle isn’t just about outbursts — it’s about sustained grievance. Trump built a movement on the idea that he was perpetually wronged: by the media, by the deep state, by the courts, even by his appointees. Anger became identity.
His followers mirrored this fury, often turning on former allies the moment they showed dissent. Loyalty was measured in outrage.
The Descent
In Dante’s Fifth Circle, the boatman Phlegyas ferries the damned across the Styx. In Trump’s Inferno, the river is filled with cable news clips, angry soundbites, and broken friendships. Trump doesn’t fight the current — he fuels it.
He lashes out at the water itself, blaming it for being wet. The sullen lie beneath, whispering “I voted for him once,” while the wrathful above scream “traitor” at anyone who hesitates.
Circle Seven: Violence — The Machinery of Harm
In Dante’s Inferno, the Seventh Circle is reserved for those who commit violence against others, against themselves, and God or nature. It’s divided into three rings, each one more brutal than the last. The violent are boiled in rivers of blood, transformed into gnarled trees, or scorched by fire raining from the sky. It’s not just punishment — it’s exposure. Violence, in Dante’s vision, is a rejection of life itself.
In Trump’s Circle, this ring is crowded. The violence here isn’t just physical — it’s institutional, ideological, and systemic. It’s the kind that hides behind executive orders, press releases, and patriotic slogans. The descent begins with cruelty toward others, and ends with a scorched-earth approach to truth, law, and humanity.
Violence Against Others: The Boiling River
Trump’s legacy includes state-sanctioned harm:
ICE raids expanded under his second term, with over 100,000 immigrants detained in facilities where bond hearings were eliminated and legal access restricted.
National Guard deployments against U.S. citizens protesting immigration policies and police violence — including in Los Angeles, where peaceful demonstrators were met with armored vehicles and tear gas.
Deportations to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, where Venezuelan immigrants were held without trial under the Alien Enemies Act. The U.S. paid $6 million for the arrangement, later denying legal responsibility.
Palestinian repression: Trump’s administration revoked visas for students and faculty who spoke out against Israeli policy, citing “foreign policy threats.” His Gaza proposal included forced relocation and a luxury resort branded “Trump Gaza.”
These acts aren’t metaphorical violence — they’re documented policies that inflicted real harm. In Dante’s river of blood, the violent are submerged according to the severity of their crimes. In Trump’s Inferno, the depth is measured in suffering.
Violence Against Self: The Forest of the Forgotten
While Dante’s second ring focuses on suicide, Trump’s Circle reflects a different kind of self-destruction — the erosion of democratic norms and institutional integrity. By undermining the rule of law, Trump damaged the very system that sustained his power:
He dismissed constitutional checks as “obstacles.”
He encouraged loyalty to himself over allegiance to the country.
He floated suspending habeas corpus to prosecute dissent.
This is violence against the self, not in body, but in governance — a rejection of the civic soul.
Violence Against God and Nature: The Burning Sands
In Dante’s third ring, blasphemers, sodomites, and usurers suffer under fire and brimstone. In Trump’s Circle, this becomes a space for violence against truth, nature, and sacred responsibility:
Climate denial and environmental rollbacks, even as wildfires and floods ravaged the country.
Selling Bibles for profit, including the God Bless the USA Bible, which earned Trump over $1.3 million in royalties. Critics called it “blasphemous,” “cheaply made,” and “a money grab.”
Weaponizing religion while refusing to quote scripture accurately — turning faith into merchandise.
Inciting violence through rhetoric, including during the January 6th insurrection, where Trump told supporters to “fight like hell.”
This ring burns not just with fire, but with hubris — the belief that power excuses harm.
In Dante’s vision, violence is a rejection of life’s sanctity. In Trump’s Inferno, it’s a strategy. The Seventh Circle doesn’t just punish — it reveals. And here, the flames don’t cleanse. They illuminate.
Circle Eight: Fraud — The Architecture of Deception
In Dante’s Inferno, the Eighth Circle — Malebolge, or “evil ditches” — is reserved for those who commit deliberate deceit. It’s a vast, funnel-shaped cavern divided into ten stone trenches, each punishing a different kind of fraud: seducers, flatterers, hypocrites, thieves, false counselors, and more. These sinners used reason to manipulate others, making their betrayal more corrosive than impulsive sins like lust or gluttony.
In Trump’s Circle, fraud is not just a sin — it’s a business model. This is the domain of branding over truth, grift disguised as governance, and advisors who speak in forked tongues. The trenches here are paved with broken contracts, collapsed bridges, and golden logos that peel under scrutiny.
The Seducers and Panderers
Trump’s early career was built on spectacle and seduction — not of romance, but of public attention. From beauty pageants to reality TV, he sold image as substance. Women were props, ratings were currency, and charm was weaponized. Bolgia 2: The Flatterers
Surrounded by sycophants, Trump elevated loyalty over competence. Cabinet members praised him publicly while policy floundered. Truth was replaced by applause — and dissent punished with exile.
Simony and Spiritual Fraud
Selling Bibles for profit — including the God Bless the USA Bible, which earned Trump over $1.3 million — turned faith into merchandise. Critics called it “blasphemous,” “cheaply made,” and “a money grab.” The Bible included patriotic lyrics and the Constitution, but not accountability.
False Prophets and Sorcerers
Trump’s embrace of conspiracy — from QAnon to vaccine misinformation — placed him among those who distorted reality for personal gain. His COVID briefings included bleach injections and miracle cures. His followers didn’t just believe — they acted.
Grafters and Embezzlers
While in office, Trump refused to divest from his businesses, creating over 3,700 conflicts of interest. He funneled donor money into his properties, hosted foreign dignitaries at Mar-a-Lago, and profited from political events. His crypto ventures and the GENIUS Act opened doors for presidential profiteering.
Hypocrites
Trump branded himself as a populist while living in a gold-plated penthouse. He claimed to fight for the working class while evading taxes and failing to pay the line of contractors. His lead-lined cloak glitters — but it weighs heavy.
Thieves
From Trump University to Trump Steaks, his ventures often promised more than they delivered. Students were misled, investors burned, and lawsuits settled with “no admission of guilt.” Theft here isn’t just of money — it’s of trust.
Evil Counselors
Advisors like Giuliani, Bannon, and Flynn whispered strategies that blurred legality. The classified documents case revealed Trump hoarded national secrets like trophies. Counsel wasn’t for country — it was for control.
Sowers of Discord
Trump’s rhetoric divided families, communities, and institutions. He turned Americans against each other, mocked disabled reporters, and encouraged violence at rallies. Discord wasn’t a byproduct — it was a tactic.
Falsifiers
From fake electors to doctored maps, Trump’s team falsified documents, data, and narratives. His administration reversed course on releasing Epstein files, claiming there was “no client list” — despite earlier promises of transparency.
In Dante’s vision, fraud is punished with confusion, distortion, and endless conflict. In Trump’s Inferno, it’s a descent through branding, betrayal, and broken truth. The bridges collapse behind him — not because Hell is cruel, but because deception eventually devours its path.
Circle Nine: Treachery — The Frozen Core of Betrayal
In Dante’s Inferno, the Ninth Circle is the deepest and coldest — a frozen lake called Cocytus, where traitors are trapped in ice, their bodies twisted and silenced. It’s divided into four concentric rounds, each punishing betrayal of a sacred bond: family, country, guests, and benefactors. At the very center lies Satan, gnawing eternally on Judas, Brutus, and Cassius — the ultimate betrayers of trust and divine order.
In Trump’s Circle, treachery is not just personal — it’s institutional, global, and deliberate. This is where betrayal of country, allies, and democratic principles crystallizes into legacy. The ice here is formed not from nature, but from broken oaths, abandoned allies, and weaponized cruelty.
Caina — Betrayal of Family
Trump’s family brand was built on loyalty, but cracks emerged:
Ivanka and Jared’s distancing during legal investigations.
Don Jr. and Eric’s business entanglements often conflict with campaign messaging.
Melania’s public silence during key scandals, including the Access Hollywood tape and Epstein revelations.
The betrayal here is subtle — not knives in the back, but silence in the storm.
Antenora — Betrayal of Country
This is where national trust is shattered:
Sending National Guard troops against peaceful protesters, including in Los Angeles, to suppress dissent.
Undermining election integrity, refusing to accept certified results, and inciting the January 6th insurrection.
Withholding aid to Ukraine, then reversing course only after geopolitical pressure — while publicly praising Putin’s “strength.”
Revoking visas of Palestinian students and faculty for political speech, violating free expression and academic freedom.
Here, the ice reaches the base of the skull. The traitors cannot bow their heads — they face their betrayal, frozen in place.
Ptolemaian — Betrayal of Guests
Trump’s immigration policies turned hospitality into hostility:
ICE raids and indefinite detention, including the expansion to 100,000 beds and elimination of bond hearings.
Deporting Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, where they were held without trial — a $6 million deal that denied legal responsibility.
Separating families at the border, with children placed in cages and parents deported without reunification plans.
In Dante’s vision, these souls lie supine in ice, their tears frozen over their eyes. Even grief is denied.
Judecca — Betrayal of Benefactors
This is the deepest ring — reserved for those who betray trust, oath, and sacred duty:
Selling Bibles for profit, turning faith into merchandise while facing mounting legal bills.
Profiting from the presidency, refusing to divest from businesses, hosting foreign dignitaries at personal properties, and funneling donor money into private coffers.
Denying ties to Epstein, despite flight logs, party records, and personal correspondence — then blocking the release of Epstein files after promising transparency.
Here, Trump is fully encased in ice, surrounded by flipped allies, frozen handshakes, and the echo of broken promises. No movement. No defense. Just legacy.
In Dante’s Inferno, treachery is the final descent — the coldest sin, because it kills trust. In Trump’s Circle, it’s not just betrayal of people. It’s betrayal of principles, institutions, and the very idea of public service.
Dante's 9th Circle and Trump's Descent
In Dante's Inferno, the 9th Circle of Hell is reserved for traitors—those who betray their benefactors, country, or kin. It is a frozen wasteland, symbolizing the cold and calculated nature of betrayal. Trump's political trajectory, particularly during the latter stages of his presidency, mirrors this descent. His rhetoric often weaponized loyalty, demanding unwavering allegiance while abandoning allies when expedient. The 9th Circle's icy imagery resonates with the chilling effects of fractured trust and strategic betrayal seen in Trump's populist movement, where loyalty was a currency traded for power, leaving a legacy of division and disillusionment.
Authors Note
Dante Alighieri, the renowned Italian poet of the Middle Ages, authored The Divine Comedy, a monumental work that explores the realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. His vivid depiction of Hell in Inferno categorizes sinners into circles based on the nature of their transgressions, with the 9th Circle reserved for traitors—those who betray their benefactors, country, or kin.
Trump’s political trajectory, particularly during the latter stages of his presidency, bears a striking resemblance to Dante’s vision of Hell. His rhetoric often weaponized loyalty, demanding unwavering allegiance while abandoning allies when expedient. The 9th Circle’s icy imagery resonates with the chilling effects of fractured trust and strategic betrayal seen in Trump’s populist movement, where loyalty was a currency traded for power, leaving a legacy of division and disillusionment.
Very good piece! The only thing I would dispute is that Trump's actions against democracy are "violence against self". I don't think he views this country as "self". That is I don't think he is loyal to the US.