A friend recently asked me a direct question. “What is wrong with tRump, that man?” I responded, “He is a narcissist.”
I now realize that is not adequate. Relatively few people appreciate the real world consequences of this condition. So today I wrote my friend this:
Hi XXXXX,
You’d asked me a question the other day and I’m not sure how useful my answer was.
You can describe someone as bi-polar or a pyromaniac or a pederast.
You can identify someone as “living with PTSD”…but you really don’t know what that means in terms of daily life. Trust me. That describes me…and you have no fucking clue.
That describes their condition but it doesn’t inform how their thinking differs from “normal” citizens.
I describe (and multiple others have described) tRump as a narcissist.
Truly understanding the consequences of that diagnosis is very difficult if you haven’t ever encountered someone like that in person.
He’s not stupid; somewhat a genius at manipulation. But hardly a brilliant businessman. Just a successful bully.
I met the man about 8 years ago at his golf course out here; a one on one conversation for a bit more than five minutes. That meeting was enabled by our mutual friend, XXXX.
I’d told my friend I wanted the chance to personally thank tRump, who had been very involved in the installation of our Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Manhattan. It is greatly appreciated by us all.
I extended my hand (he took it) and I began, “I wanted to thank you for your help in the installation of our Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Manha….”
He cut me off. “Yes I did all that! I was responsible for its existence.”
I just looked at him. Dumbfounded. I knew that was untrue. I WAS THERE AT THE TIME! MANY other people donated and generated the funding and the legislation for the land and installation,
I’m pretty sure he knew THAT I KNEW that what he’d said was bullshit.
When he pulled his hand away, he dragged his middle finger across my palm! That was cringe-worthy, creepy. It was all I could do to not to wipe my hand on my trousers!
The point is, he could not help himself in our exchange! He was compelled to take credit for, boast, elevate himself and his self-importance. ALWAYS
That is narcissism. That person has no choice. It is a compulsion. And most people will just let it slide… I mean why bother to correct someone so clearly damaged?
But he does that in EVERYTHING. NO ONE is ever more important than he. EVER. ANYTHING he does is proper, acceptable…because HE DID IT!
So whether it’s intelligence briefings and documents, election laws, truth, tax laws, exploiting the government with fees for secret service protection at his properties, the racial dog whistles, the sexist dog whistles and on and on….
HE CANNOT HELP HIMSELF. His condition compels him to behave in this way.
And unless we man up and use our laws to indict, convict, fine and punish this man, our laws will mean nothing to anyone else. Our democracy will cease to exist.
NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW
.
This selfish, corrupt bully will succeed in having destroyed the worlds oldest and largest democracy.
That MUST not happen.
Best, Tucker
