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Donald Trump on Netflix: Your Guide to the Best and Worst Documentaries

How many documentaries on Donald Trump do you think Netflix has? One? Maybe two? Nope — everyone’s favorite streaming service has a total of five documentaries and docu-series about America’s current president. Whether you love him or hate him, one streaming service having roughly eight hours devoted to dissecting the life of Trump is pretty impressive, especially considering he was only elected in late 2016.

Over the past few months, this weird Netflix subgenre has become one of my unofficial beats, and it’s time for me to pass what I’ve learned onto you. There’s really no such thing as a pointedly bad Trump documentary, though there are a couple of fairly boring ones. If you have a free couple of hours and want to be informed – but also want a cohesive narrative – here’s your guide to which Trump documentaries are must watches, which make for decent background binges, and which ones can be skipped altogether.

1

'Dirty Money', "The Confidence Man"

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Photo: Netflix

Directed by Fisher Stevens, “The Confidence Man” takes one claim about Donald Trump — that he’s a good businessman — and drills into it with laser-like focus. Filled with interviews with people who both worked with Trump and wrote about him during his long career, the episode is a fast-paced and well-edited look into Trump’s financial history and questionable business dealings. The Dirty Money episode is designed to leave viewers with more questions than answers, and it achieves that goal while still remaining an objectively interesting watch.

Stream Dirty Money, "The Confidence Man" on Netflix

2

'Get Me Roger Stone'

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Photo: Netflix

Directed by Dylan Bank, Daniel DiMauro, and Morgan Pehme, Get Me Roger Stone doesn’t focus on Trump as much as it focuses on the man who helped make him president. The documentary shows that the longtime Trump strategist is responsible for luring businessmen and moguls like Trump into the politics arena. It’s a dark look at a supporting figure who is often ignored, and it’s perhaps that clear focus that makes the Netflix original one of the better documentaries connected to Trump. After the 2016 election, many have wondered how this happened. Get Me Roger Stone offers the start of an answer.

Stream Get Me Roger Stone on Netflix

3

'11/8/16'

11-8-16
Photo: Netflix

Though this documentary couldn’t exist without Donald Trump, it’s America that’s the central subject of 11/8/16. Directed by Duane Anderson, Don Argott, Yung Chang, and Petra Epperlein, the film offers a snapshot of how the United States responded after Trump’s election told through several individual stories. There is probably something comforting about this angle to certain viewers. However in a climate that’s still angry and still obsessed with breaking down how Trump became President, it feels a bit like watching more of the same. Perhaps in a decade this documentary will age well, but for the moment, no matter how compelling and well-made it is, 11/8/16 feels a bit unnecessary.

Stream 11/8/16 on Netflix

4

'Meet the Trumps: From Immigrant to President'

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Photo: BBC, Netflix

Created by the BBC and directed by Paul Berczeller and Mark Radice, Meet the Trumps is less about Donald Trump and more about the Trump legacy. The documentary starts with Donald Trump’s immigrant grandfather, Frederick Trump, and follows how he capitalized on Western expansion to make a fortune and a name for himself. The documentary includes a lot of insane facts about Trump’s family, like how Trump’s grandfather once forded a hotel down a river to capitalize on business. But overall, the documentary is a fairly by-the-book and emotionless biographical film.

Stream Meet the Trumps: From Immigrant to President on Netflix

5

'Trump: An American Dream'

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Photo: Netflix

Created by the BBC, this four-part docuseries explores Donald Trump’s life over the years from his first building purchase in Manhattan to his several runs for president in the 2000s. An American Dream is nothing is not thorough, devoting nearly four hours to Trump’s real estate developments, financially questionable history in Atlantic City, rise through entertainment, and involvement in politics. Episode 3, “Citizen Trump”, is especially interesting because it narrowly focuses on The Apprentice — the show that was instrumental to Trump’s popularity and image but hasn’t been widely discussed. But despite its subject matter, An American Dream can be very boring.

Stream Trump: An American Dream on Netflix