Former President Donald Trump has a common refrain that he uses when describing any and all of his legal woes and time in various courtrooms – it is unfair. Trump has attempted to suggest that he is being treated unfairly in every single case, civil or criminal.

This is hardly new, Trump has for years railed that things aren't fair. An April 2016 article from The Washington Post compiled the " 18 times Donald Trump complained about being treated unfairly," while a February piece in The New Yorker offered the headline " Trump Says He Has Been Treated Very Unfairly by People."

NPR summed up Trump's feelings in August 2018, " For President Trump, Life Is Just Not Fair." Except in this article, the statement about fairness was directed not at how he felt he was being treated but that others shouldn't expect life to always treat them fairly.

"Over the course of your life, you will find that things are not always fair," Trump said during the commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. "You will find that things happen to you that you do not deserve and that are not always warranted. But you have to put your head down and fight, fight, fight. Never, ever, ever give up. Things will work out just fine."

It was almost inspiring… almost. That's because Trump continued, and he made it about himself.

"No politician in history ­ and I say this with great surety ­ has been treated worse or more unfairly. You can't let them get you down. You can't let the critics and the naysayers get in the way of your dreams. I guess that's why I ... I guess that's why we won," Trump went on to add.

Perhaps Trump really does feel the world hasn't treated him fairly, despite the fact that he was born to wealthy parents, owns multiple homes worth millions (but are smaller than some claims according to the New York District Attorney), and flies in a private jet. Trump has several children who remain loyal and supportive, he was on one of the top-rated TV shows, and he was elected president of the United States.

But despite all of that Trump sees that he's not been treated fairly, and in some cases, it isn't just petty, it is downright perplexing.

"WHY IS THE CORRUPT GOVERNMENT ALLOWED TO MAKE THE FINAL ARGUMENT IN THE CASE AGAINST ME? WHY CAN'T THE DEFENSE GO LAST? BIG ADVANTAGE, VERY UNFAIR. WITCH HUNT," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in advance of Tuesday's closing arguments in his hush-money trial in New York City.

The question must be asked, was Donald Trump serious, or was this an attempt to gain sympathy with his supporters? Certainly, Trump's lawyers would understand that it is common practice in criminal trials for prosecutors to summarize their closing arguments last, due to the fact that the burden of proof falls on them. Trump may not have studied the law, but his lawyers should have explained this to him – or he could have simply watched any number of movies and TV shows to see this is almost always the case.

In other words, there was nothing "unfair" about prosecutors making the final argument. Likewise, plenty of politicians are the subject of ridicule and scorn. That's part of the job, but Trump takes it so personally that he's been known to engage in petty feuds over the smallest perceived slight. He is empowered by it, and many of his supporters buy into it.

Trump may have said, "Over the course of your life, you will find that things are not always fair," but clearly he believes nothing in his life has been fair. A lot of his critics would agree; the truth is that Donald Trump has had it better than most of us.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

All images are Creative Commons.