If you're not into silent movies, you probably won't be interested in this. But if you are, you might want to check out Romola (1924), starring Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish.

In this film set in Renaissance Florence, William Powell plays a completely shameless serial liar and cheat, who through lies and deception, climbs his way to the top of the government and turns the Republic of Florence into a dicatorship. He cons the mob to deem any criticism of the government to be capital treason.

I was watching it this morning, and it struck me as so familiar to tRump, eh?

IMO, some of the Gish sisters' greatest acting ever.