Ever since Donald Trump lost the US presidential election by a margin, in electoral college terms, of 306 votes to 2321, that he described four years ago as a landslide, almost all he has done is tweet about election fraud. Trump has constantly claimed that there was widespread fraud in the November 3 presidential election, but he has provided no substantial evidence to back up this assertion. He has commenced numerous court actions to try to overturn the election results in several states, but again and again, judges, including assorted conservatives, and even some of Trump’s own appointees, have rejected these attempts to throw out millions of votes. He has had only one win out of over 50 court cases and that was in a minor case concerning a small number of ballots in Pennsylvania. This did not change the result in that state, which Biden won by just over 80,000 votes2.
Meanwhile, in the real world, at the time of writing, just over 305,000 of Trump’s compatriots have lost their lives, and they continue to do so at the rate of about 2,500 per day3. Despite this massive tragedy, I have not seen any sympathy from Trump for those who have lost their lives, or for their families, who were unable to be present as their father, mother, husband, wife, son or daughter died. One of the most upsetting photographs I have seen during this pandemic is of a small room in a hospital with a few dozen thin metal stands, each holding an iPad. These are to be taken to the bedside of a Covid-19 patient so their family outside the hospital could say goodbye to them as they died. I nearly burst into tears when I contemplate the appalling enormity of this. My mother died only a few years ago and she knew we were there, holding her hand as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Not being with her is something I could not even imagine, so I certainly cannot imagine the pain and emptiness of not being allowed to be there.
Trump’s lack of concern for those who have suffered the most from this pandemic is clearly the sign of a severely deranged personality. That personality has engendered much speculation, and that speculation seems to have settled on malignant narcissism as the disorder from which he suffers. Many psychologists have expressed opinions as to Trump’s personality disorder, but psychologist Elizabeth Mika put it most succinctly when she said: “My opinion, based on observations of his behaviour, public accounts from his family and associates, and all the information we have about his developmental and relational history, is that he is a malignant narcissist”5.
Sources
- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2020/dec/08/us-election-results-2020-joe-biden-defeats-donald-trump-to-win-presidency
- https://www.ft.com/content/20b114b5-5419-493b-9923-a918a2527931
- https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
- https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/heartbreaking-image-from-us-icu-goes-viral/news-story/66e1b62e786c179cbcb20a60069dae09
- https://www.upworthy.com/psychologist-explains-trumps-lack-of-conscience-and-why-his-base-loves-it
Trump would be short-priced favourite in any contest to find the planet’s most self-absorbed egotist. His lack of interest in and care for others has been well-exposed and ought to be obvious to anyone with more than a handful of functioning neurons. I’ve often thought narcissist was too soft a term a to adequately describe Trump’s character so I’m glad to see Mika’s label – MALIGNANT NARCISSIST is right on the money. But Trump couldn’t have done what he has without the unctuous support of his sycophants within the GOP, the fawning right wing media, lawyers who have no concept of the rule of law, and ideologically-blind supporters. The first three groups are undoubtedly complicit in the disgraceful attacks on democracy in the USA and the decline of reason and human decency in what is clearly a nation in decline.
Democrat Senator Bill Pascrell is dead right when he says that Trump and his toadying enablers ought to be properly exposed and prosecuted for the sake of the rule of law and democracy.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/bill-pascrell-trump-prosecute-investigation-giuliani-b1766617.html
Extract:
On 20 November, he [Pascrell] filed legal complaints in five states against the president’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and 22 other lawyers, demanding they be disbarred for filing what he called frivolous lawsuits and “trying to help Trump steal the election and dismantle democracy. “The pattern of behaviour by these individuals to effectuate Mr Trump’s sinister arson is a danger not just to our legal system but is also unprecedented in our national life,” he wrote.
The 83-year-old Democrat dismissed GOP “fascist wannabes” who backed a House resolution to censure him for it. “Those supporting this pathetic resolution are complicit in Trump’s attempt to become a dictator,” he said.
He has accused the president and allies of committing innumerable crimes against the US, from endangering national security to ripping families apart and engaging in treachery and treason.
“Therefore, in 2021 the entire Trump administration must be fully investigated by the Department of Justice and any other relevant offices,” he said. “Donald Trump along with his worst enablers must be tried for their crimes against our nation and Constitution.”
Hear hear Bill!
Jon,
Jeez, I hope that happens. If it doesn’t, then Trump will be just the first in a line of wannabe dictators, and subsequent versions may be more intelligent, and hence more dangerous. I saw a Bill Maher rant a few weeks ago, where he was essentially moaning about the laxity of the constitution. It leaves too much to ‘convention’, as does ours (given that ours is in part modelled on the US version). Even when the constitution is transgressed, there seems to be no timely mechanism to bring the perpetrator to account.