President Donald Trump suffers from serious mental disorders that seem to completely control his actions and reactions. Armed with the awesome power of presidency of the only superpower in the world makes him the most dangerous person on earth.
Trump has openly displayed his mental disorder on a daily basis for four years – and probably because his mental problem is on TV and the print media it has become accepted as “normal” and not shocking. But not to the Mental Health Community – over 60,000 mental health professionals openly rebelled against the long respected “Goldwater Rule” from the American Psychiatric Association which states “Psychologists should not offer a diagnosis in the media of a living public figure they have not examined.” They were, however, motivated by their knowledge of the seriousness of the mental illness and what Trump might do with all his power as president if he felt trapped and humiliated. Their petition reads:
“We the undersigned mental health professionals, believe in our professional judgment that Donald Trump manifests a serious mental illness that renders him psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of the United States. And we respectfully request he be removed from office, according to article 4 of the 25th amendment to the Constitution, which states that the president will be replaced if he is ‘unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.'” This has gone unheeded by the Republican Senate, which refused to approve the House action for impeachment.
The general public does not seem to share the concerns and fears of the mental health professionals. 74,223,251 Americans voted for Trump on November 3rd. Although there are Trump supporters who say they know he is a liar without morals but remain his strong supporters, the majority like most Americans are not familiar with his mental illness. This lack of a plan to educate Americans to become fully aware of Trump’s mental sickness is basically irresponsible, if our goal is to protect our democracy. Americans must get to know Trump for what and who he is. Just as in the early 1950s Senator Joseph McCarthy used fear, falsehoods and belligerence to become arguably the most powerful man in the U.S. — until he was exposed for what he was by courageous defenders of American democracy like Edward R. Murrow, a CBS News host, and Margaret Chase Smith, who was the first senator to denounce McCarthy’s tactics with her “Declaration of Conscience” speech on the senate floor. Trump can be likewise exposed by making the public aware of the seriousness of his mental illness.
So let’s begin by identifying what has long been described as Trump’s mental problem: A combination of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defines Narcissistic Personality Disorder as a personality characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance. An excessive need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. There are a lot of other traits and behaviors including arrogance, callousness, and envy and is associated with a preoccupation with power, prestige and vanity; other negative characteristic include “grandiosity” and a disdain and lack of empathy for others. This condition is also characterized by exploitation behavior to achieve personal gain, exaggeration of skills and accomplishments and intolerance of the views of others. Pathological narcissism is also associated with the derogation and insults of others and an inability to tolerate disagreements and criticisms, and even the most minor slights and humiliation.
Antisocial Personality Behavior Disorder involves a pattern of disregard for, and violation of rights of others and also includes such negative characteristics as deceitfulness as indicated by continuous lying or conning and manipulation of others, aggressiveness and consistent irresponsibility. According to the Manual, narcissistic and anti-social personality disorder can overlap with each other including in terms of lack of remorse and disregard for the wishes, rights and feelings of others and even co-exist as in Megalomania.
It is essential that Trump’s mental state be the major topic of discussion on TV and the print media to replace the political analysis that has monopolized the media the past four years. In overcoming the Trump mystic we must be inundated with mental health professionals rather than political analysts. And there is a pool of over 60,000 mental health professionals ready to be interviewed — to scientifically explain that his mental illness prevents him from having empathy for the 230,000 Americans who have died from the pandemic. And why instead of remorse and guilt for encouraging Americans to ignore proven safety measures, he glories in his power to have millions of Americans willing to die for him. And he has publicly sworn to use his “power” to disrupt the Biden administration, and remain as the major force in determining America’s future. He obviously believes his removal from office will have little effect on his supporters and the business and government officials he controls.
And he has unswerving confidence in his god-like ability to lie, con, and manipulate groups and people to love, trust and follow him — even to their death.
Only the mass – public education of Donald Trump’s mental problem can Trump be exposed for who and what he is — and his personal action, especially since his election loss, will reveal a dangerously ill person.