Donald Trump’s Narcissistic Rage is a Threat to Us All
In this week of insurrection, when an ever-worsening pandemic manages to be a sub-headline, Donald Trump — this “president” of ours who does not have enough impulse control to qualify for a Twitter or Shopify account — continues to have access to the nuclear codes and a country’s fate.
But what about how divisive it would be to take him out of office? (I hate to break it to you, but that ship has sailed.)
But there are only nine days left! (And all it took was a walk down Pennsylvania Avenue for our nation’s capital to be breached, invaded, and overtaken in what could have been a far-deadlier massacre of our nation’s decision-makers.)
And, of course, the quiet part for some of these politicians: But what will playing a role in ejecting him from office do to the rest of my political career?
And so on and so forth …
In this moment of great crisis, I deeply wish that the powers-that-be would base their decisions not on politics, but on mental health.
Because, at this particular moment in history, we find ourselves being led by a cornered narcissist who is suffering a deep wound to his ego and sense of identity.
And that is terrifying.
Understand this: narcissism is not about gazing in the mirror and swooning over your own reflection. In fact, the hallmark of narcissism is a deep sense of self-hatred, whether the narcissist is consciously aware of it or not. The way a narcissist contends with this self-hatred is by creating a façade for the world — generally one that involves a veil of power and success, no matter how flimsy.
I can think of few more dangerous or precarious scenarios than the one America currently finds itself in: having a narcissist in control of everything. This has been true for the past almost-four years, and it’s especially true now, in these final moments when Trump is desperate, cornered, and his power is threatened. When he has nothing left to lose.
Understand this: a narcissist does not think the same way you do. There’s no sense of logic or perspective — especially when the chips are down. Combine this with the fact that narcissists do not have a conscience or empathy.
What does this mean? It means there’s no room for allowances. The narcissist’s brain does not work in the same way yours does, and there’s no sense of morality at play here. None.
Narcissists are not willing to back down.
They have no regard for the law and, in fact, revel in breaking it and thereby demonstrating that they are not bound by the same rules that apply to everyone else.
They do not have any regard for the people or world around them, outside of what their minions can do for them.
Narcissists survive by triangulating — by pitting one side against the other with the narcissist dwelling in the middle. We are currently dealing with a small man who has somehow managed to triangulate an entire nation, on both micro and macro levels.
Narcissists thrive by making everything confusing and chaotic, by distorting the truth. We are now seeing what that looks like on a mass level.
Most important of all, know this: Narcissists are at their very, very worst when they’re backed up against a wall … and that is precisely where Donald Trump finds himself right now.
As anyone who has been in an abusive relationship will tell you, trying to keep things low-key or to “ride it out for the next few days” is an incredibly flawed strategy. This is precisely when the worst things happen. It’s why the Justice Department reports that the majority of domestic assaults reported to law enforcement happen in the process of or immediate wake of a breakup.
Donald Trump has to go. Right now. This is not going to get better. It’s going to get worse.
