In reading the newsfeeds of Biden stepping down, we now know the Democrat convention next month will be an open convention for the first time in decades to choose new Democrat candidates for POTUS and VP from a large well qualified field. I am energized and excited for what we may see over the next three months.
So, it is a time to look carefully at the opposition the Republicans have nominated, Trump. Back in 2020, a group of credentialed, well educated and highly respected psychologists and psychiatrists, after observing Trump for four years and out of concern for our country, put out a video called “Unfit.” In it they documented using medical terms Trump’s diagnosis as “Malignant Narcissism”. There are 4 components:
1. Narcissism – malignant narcissism, the most severe form, is anti-social with no regard for laws-thinking rules do not apply a pathologic liar, no remorse for hurting others. grandiose feelings, need for attention, fantasies of success.
2. Paranoia – thinking others are against him, feeling persecuted, suspecting others of ulterior motives, holding grudges.
3. Lack of empathy – insensitive to the needs or harm of others, exploiting others.
4. Sadism – cruelty to others & joy in humiliating l, insulting or denigrating other people.
They discussed this diagnosis and put it in terms of history, looking back to the 1920’s during the rise of fascism in Italy. Republicans get angry if comparisons are made of Trump to Hitler in the 30’s. The psychiatrists don’t say Trump is as bad as Hitler, but they do say he has the same diagnosis and is cut from the same cloth. They cite other autocrats Putin, Kim, and even a rising party of autocrats and populism in Germany and France.
In terms of fitness, it has to be understood that 40 of 44 cabinet and Trump administration members, including his VP, Mike Pence, say he is unfit for the office of POTUS and they do not support him. These are people who worked with Trump in the White House and know him best. They clearly know better than ANY voter his fitness. In the 4 indictments pending against him and returned by over 75 grand jurors in 4 states, virtually ALL of the witnesses, testifying under oath, were Republicans- members of his WH staff and some of his attorneys. People whom he had selected and hired and who had been loyal to him at some time. They know better than ANY voter whether Trump is fit for the office of POTUS.
The psychology experts also studied and presented a reason for Trump’s appeal and indeed the appeal of any leader who is a malignant narcissist. America since WWI and WWII has had decades of prosperity and a rise in the education and success of the middle class and Americans were united as one. Our Founders feared and predicted that there could arise an autocratic leader that could usurp power and erode the traditions and institutions of democracy. Other European democracies have fallen- in Italy, a democracy prior to the 1920’s fell to fascism. Our founders gave us a separation of powers in the judiciary, an executive and a legislature. However, they didn’t conceive that the legislature and judiciary could become ineffective or partisan politically and fail to provide the checks and balances that had held for 248 years.
Today our society and our country is divided into two tribes. Trump came down the escalator in 2016 and appealed to a tribe of Americans that had increasingly felt left out of economic prosperity as the gap between the very wealthy, the top 2 percent held all the wealth, mega-corporations make billions in profits but do not raise wages and the middle class has fallen down, not keeping pace or able to sustain a standard of living equal to the previous generation. Trump gave them a scapegoat and blamed their plight on immigrants and promised he would build a wall and Mexico would pay for it. He promised he could restore their dreams and Make America Great Again. He promised to fix failing infrastructure roads, bridges. He promised to restore the coal industry. He said they should fear globalization and fear immigrants taking jobs and invading our country but he would fight for them and was the only one who could do it. He told them they could not trust the press, they could not trust their government they could only trust him. And the tribe believed him.
The Republican tribe called MAGAs now are convinced the other tribe, Democrats are a mortal enemy and must be destroyed. There is violence and division. This is the pattern of autocracy and loss of the institutions of democracy and our Republic. It has happened before in other countries and other civilizations.
Trump is a malignant narcissist. He made promises- but he didn’t keep them. He lied. He continues to lie. He is paranoid. He has no empathy and cares nothing for others. He has been cruel to others, to children, to women, to disabled veterans. He makes grandiose claims about himself, his abilities, but they are not true.
Watch the Unfit video at this link
Watch it, please. America cannot allow a dangerous autocrat, a malignant narcissist to attain the office of POTUS. The Republican tribe and the Democrat tribe should agree on this for the good of our country.
William W Beckett is a resident of the Village of Sanibel.
