The New Privilege: Power Without Limits

The violation of normal social boundaries in any and all directions defines Trump's idea of privilege.

In a June 2026 Atlantic article entitled, “Trump’s No-Limits Presidency,” David A. Graham describes how our president routinely violates the boundary lines that mark the limits of our society’s political, social, economic, and cultural norms–as well as any other norms he fancies violating in the moment. I define this type of violation as seizure of privilege. I’ll explain by first defining privilege. (Learn more in Chapter 19, “Decoding Shame in Society.”)

Privilege is a social condition that entitles a subset of a population to special benefits and favors not available to others. Such benefits can be bestowed by the larger population or self-authorized by members of the subgroup. In other words, privilege can be granted or seized.

When privilege is granted, the larger group sanctions expanded social norms for certain people, allowing them the right to conduct themselves in ways that permit less regulation; more freedom; and increased social, economic, political, or other advantages. When privilege is seized, on the other hand, a subgroup simply decides it is entitled to less regulation, more freedom, and increased advantages. The subgroup appropriates the right to disrespect the normal social boundaries required of others.

Trump has decided he can disrespect any social boundary he chooses. He’s declared that his privilege has no limits. When recently asked by a reporter, “What have you learned about not just the exercise of power but the limits on your power as a result of the [Iran] conflict?” Trump responded, “There are no limits. I haven’t learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but, you know, there are no limits.”

Shame is the social force that monitors privilege, whether granted or seized. Shame has served throughout human history as the evolutionary-based signaling system that regulates us at the boundary line that marks socially acceptable behavior. We experience shame and are shamed by others when we’ve broken through our population’s invisible fence of norms and, as a result, have stepped beyond the social protections of our group.

When privilege is granted by the larger population, those privileged are behaving in ways society has approved, so they’re not subject to shame. When privilege is seized, however, the seizers are subject to shame but don’t experience it. They should feel zapped by the regulating emotion of shame for breaking through society’s invisible fence that demarks acceptable behavior. Instead, they incur no sense of shame.

In an added twist, privilege- seizers still expect the same social benefits as those who comply with accepted norms. They claim all the advantages of membership in the larger group while refusing to observe its standards. I define such behavior–feeling privileged to violate the rules of one’s group while still expecting it’s full benefits–as shamelessness. Trump’s “no limits” presidency bears all the signs of shameless privilege, seized without conscience to the great detriment of the country he’s supposed to be benefitting.