In 1990, a young Barack Obama, then a student at Harvard Law School, authored a compelling article titled “Race and Rights Rhetoric,” published in the Harvard Law Record. In this piece, written long before he would become the 44th President of the United States Obama wrote the following:

“(Americans have) a continuing normative commitment to the ideals of individual freedom and mobility, values that extend far beyond the issue of race in the American mind. The depth of this commitment may be summarily dismissed as the unfounded optimism of the average American—I may not be Donald Trump now, but just you wait; if I don’t make it, my children will.“ – Barack Obama

This Trump reference suggests a recognition and admiration of Trump’s significant achievements and the iconic status he held in the public eye. Obama’s use of Trump as a benchmark for success serves to illustrate the aspirational expectations held by many Americans.

By mentioning Trump, Obama acknowledges the allure and power of the success that Trump represented, indicating a level of admiration for Trump’s ability to achieve such remarkable success.