(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . One Sick Puppy [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-12-03 Donald Trump made the statement, “You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans,” at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on October 9, 2023 during the Republican Presidential campaign. It was a strange statement. Who believes that Trump is motivated by love? There is nothing in his long public life to suggest that love motivates him—unless you mean love of self. What does motivate him? Money? As much as he can get! Vengeance? Yes! Power? Always! Control? Of everyone! Constant admiration? Yes, to soothe a fragile ego. Desire for attention? Continually as he seeks to be in the spotlight. While Trump tries to present himself as a strong man, he just seems to be mean and needy, a 78-year-old bully. Trump accused President Biden of hating the American people when Biden referred to the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe as garbage because Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a Trump rally. Trump said again, “You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans,” and then added, “and you can’t be president if you hate the American people!” While Trump needs his supporters, I’m not sure he loves them, and I doubt that he loves America. Trump’s first run for President was more of a publicity stunt to support grift and burnish his brand. He didn’t think he would win, but he was surprised when he did. Trump expected to win re-election in 2020. Because Trump doesn’t want to hear what he doesn’t want to hear, his campaign staff and advisors kept assuring him that he would win, while respected polls consistently showed Biden in the lead nationally and in a number of swing states. The myth of inevitable victory was reinforced by the fact that Trump’s staff kept feeding him optimistic and skewed poll results. Then he lost. Psychologically, Trump could not accept the loss. The Big Lie was the Big Defense Mechanism to protect a shattered ego. Trump has been labeled as having various pathologies and personality disorders. These are based on observations of his behavior by a number of people, including his niece, Mary Trump, a trained clinical psychologist. In her book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” she emphasizes Trump’s narcissism, defense mechanisms, and lack of empathy. Any loss in a Presidential election is a BIG deal for the Presidential nominee and for those who supported the nominee. Still, Trump’s 2020 loss was a psychological wound, a narcissistic injury, and a complete humiliation by the American people who voted against him. Trump is known for his explosive anger and blind rage, as revealed by accounts by people in his first administration. I believe anger and rage became, over the months following the election, a seething hatred. Trump’s hatred runs wide and deep. Blacks for many years, and more recently, those s**t-hole countries. Muslims. Mexicans. The Military, you know, those suckers and losers. The disabled. Women. The Press. The LGBTQ+ Community. All immigrants, legal and undocumented, unless they are white. Democrats and other liberals. The enemy within. Yet Trump said, “You can’t be president if you hate the American people!” Right! But then there was more cause for hatred, additional assaults with one court case after another, “iniuriae addere contumeliam,” which means “to add insult to injury,” more degradation, pouring salt into the wound. Never mind that all the cases were legitimate within a country that values the rule of law. To Trump, the court cases were proof of a deep state out to get him—the enemy within—because Trump has always believed he was above the law. He was finally vindicated in that belief when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States on July 1, 2024, giving the President absolute immunity. Now, Trump will be above the law. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 4, 2023, Trump uttered some telling words. They came after one of his trademark made-up stories. The “friend” asked, “Mr. President, how do you do it every day? They sent you subpoenas every day. They’re after you. They’re looking to take you down at levels that nobody’s ever put up with before.” Trump concludes his fictional story and then said, “In 2016, I declared I am your voice. Today, I add, I am your warrior, I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. I am your retribution. Not going to let this happen. Not going to let it happen. I will totally obliterate the deep state. I will fire the unelected bureaucrats and shadow forces who have weaponized our justice system like it has never been weaponized before, these are sick people, and I will put the people back in charge of this country again, the people will be back in charge of our country.” He shifts from being a “voice” in 2016 to being “your retribution” for those who have been wronged and betrayed in 2024. But who even says, “I will be your retribution?” In this context, (1) only a person with a grandiose sense of self, (2) someone preoccupied with power, (3) an individual who feels entitled, (4) someone who is interpersonally exploitative, (5) one who believes he is special and (6) an arrogant person. As listed in the postscript, these are six characteristics of a person with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Information about Antisocial Personality Disorder is also listed because Trump also manifests most of those characteristics as well. Who says, “I will be your retribution?” Only a person driven by grievance and consumed with hatred. This is not a professional diagnosis, just a correlation with Trump’s own behavior: the most manifestly unfit person to ever be elected President of the United States, twice. Trump is one sick puppy. PS: The following two personality disorders seem to describe Trump best. They are from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) (DSM-5): A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in various contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following: 1 Grandiosity: Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements). 2 Preoccupation with Fantasies: Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. 3 Specialness: Believes that they are “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions). 4 Admiration: Requires excessive admiration. 5 Sense of Entitlement: Has a sense of entitlement (unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with their expectations). 6 Exploitation: Is interpersonally exploitative (takes advantage of others to achieve their own ends). 7 Lack of Empathy: Lacks empathy (unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others). 8 Envy: Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of them. 9 Arrogance: Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes. Diagnostic Criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) (DSM-5) A pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following criteria: 1 Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest. 2 Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure. 3 Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead. 4 Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults. 5 Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others. 6 Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations. 7 Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another. 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