A Cornered Narcissist is not a Pretty Sight

By Dr David Laing Dawson

Here is what to expect:

Increasing displays of petulance, irrational accusations, self-pity, rage, and depression, while he continues to seek out adoring crowds and fawning world leaders wherever he can find them.

This depression will take the form of blunt affect, self-imposed isolation, and paranoia.

I was struck by Trump’s demeanour right after the midterms. The news channels referred to it as upbeat, positive. His words (the actual words) started out upbeat, declaring the midterms a Republican “victory”, calling it “great”, before taking pot shots at all his favourite enemies and hinting at a democratic/deep state conspiracy against him, but his affect throughout this was flat, his pronunciation dull, his face blunted. even when using the words “great” and “victory” – at least until his petulant rage at Jim Acosta.

With the democrats now having the majority in the House, the republicans weakened in many State legislatures, the firing of Jeff Sessions, we are now into the endgame.

I don’t profess to feel any certainty how this will unfold. The possibilities include everything from impeachment to endless investigations to a thin gruel of feigned bipartisanship to more unrest, polarization, and violence.

But Donald Trump’s responses are predictable, and highly visible in his five tweets today attacking the press and the Mueller Investigation with even more recklessness and less attention to reality than we have seen before.

There was a time when a mad king could be isolated and the kingdom protected from his madness. Unfortunately we now have twitter and more than a few sycophants surrounding this president. And many more commentators still trying to shine a kind light on his outrageous words and notions.

Perhaps the world’s frightening march back to 1913 with the rise of nationalism, the erection of fences, the dissolution of agreements, and the rebirth of oligarchs will proceed without Trump. Or, or, or America might return to an improved version of itself as the beacon of successful liberal democracy, perhaps even with universal health care, gun control, less racism and a major role to play addressing climate change. I hope they try. Whatever poison flows below the 49th parallel tends to seep into Canada.

So, my American friends, it is now time for damage control and careful planning. If only you could promise him a statue bigger than Lincoln’s and the rating of “best president ever” in the history books in return for his retirement to Mar-a-Lago, quietly and permanently.

4 thoughts on “A Cornered Narcissist is not a Pretty Sight

  1. Again, well said. I’ve worked for five decades with guys with severe narcissistic personality disorders with antisocial traits. They tend to self destruct when all their past character armor doesn’t work any more. What does an extreme case do after going bankrupt five times and being forced to get bail out funding from nefarious sources? He agrees to run for President, a job he doesn’t have a clue how to succeed. He’s beginning to show his cracking armor. Like saying he knows more about preventing California forest fires than anyone in history. The emperor has no clothes.


    1. Yes I agree with both you and Dawson, I fear that as he loses his grip i.e. control of the bits that he is manipulating, He could be much more dangerous yet !

      It is past the time to lock him up . Let us hope that some leading people around him from both parties are ready to grab the reins. It is still amazing to me that he was allowed to become the President in the first place. The job itself is hard enough for mere mortals, but would one risk putting it in the hands of a petulant child with no moral compass. The press conference where he goes afterJim Acosta shows exactly how desperate he is, and how he is playing it out. How many folks though understand this is now a desperate man with all the power in the world? Let’s hope that Mueller is poised to act swiftly. The dragging out of the written questions is absolutely predictable. When will the rest of government call his bluff. Really how many hands has he yet to play?

      Maybe some divine intervention will topple his futile scheme. It is not whether we can blame a sociopath for their inability to behave with a conscience, it what we as a society bring to bear on the monstrous problem.
      Yes his flat affect revealed the long and short of it. Of course he got back on his plinth when he handed out all those medals of honour. There’s glory for you!

      A revealing weakness in his armour is that he has a fear of germs . Could this be his vulnerable point? I am not suggesting biological warfare here, but just putting a few coughs and sneezes around might do the trick. FLU season is here. But then does he even shake hands with anyone? He does a lot of back patting. Is Spence the last one to manipulate ? Indeed how will this all play out?


  2. I doubt very much there are enough votes for impeachment, whatever Mueller comes up with. Remember when Ronald Reagan was a President with Alzheimer’s? General Haig was secretly running the government that last year. I think that is already happening — just letting Trump continue to tweet and do photo ops — but someone is making sure there is no war. A bigger problem long term is how the Republican Tea Party ensures that moderates willing to compromise to get things done lose the nomination in their riding. Guaranteed polarization and gridlock for years to come. One thing is certain: Democrat or Republican, crazy or not crazy, present and future American Presidents will cater to big business through deregulation and tax cuts and government defense contracts. They own the government.


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