Lightning has struck Trump's Tower and it's teetering with a wobble befitting a Jenga structure. It's been an awful month for the President. The "champ" has been staggered with a self-inflicted blow and is on the ropes. We can speculate on what happens next, but who could have predicted what has happened up to now? (I've already been wrong a number of times as the crazy carousel careens.)
Why did President Goombah think that it was a good idea to release the 'nice country you have here, shame if something were to happen to it' Ukrainian phone call summary? Did he really think that it would exonerate him like he said? Did he really think that it was a "pitch perfect" conversation? It might have been the best option of actions. Or... he really believed it exonerated him. When considering anything about Donald Trump, I've maintained that he always believes what he says is the truth - or should be.
This mindset has been ever-present. But the quality of the mind has been in decay for some time. And now it has become the subject of serious mainstream public conversation.
Some shocking comments were made a couple of weeks ago from White House staff and advisors: "His mood changes from one minute to the next... he's losing his shit." "You should ask a psychiatrist about that." "I think the president is in severe mental decline..." "You're basically stuck looking after a 4-year-old now." Read more in this amazing Business Insider article:
"He's deteriorating in plain sight"
"My father was born in a very wonderful place in Germany." His father was born in the Bronx. (His grandfather was from Germany.) He called Venezuela a company, and Tim Cook "Tim Apple". These and other nuggets form the grist for alarm among psychiatric experts. From earlier this spring:
"Mental Health experts warn Trump is in decline"
Understanding the state of his mental health is "Trump's Rosetta Stone." "(His) disordered personality - his unhealthy patterns of thinking, functioning, and behaving - has become the defining characteristic of his presidency. It manifests itself in multiple ways..." Read more about these multiple ways in this terrific piece from The Atlantic by former GOP White House advisor Peter Wehner. It is damning:
"Donald Trump Is Not Well"
Some more examples of his disordered personality and ebbing physical health are highlighted here from the last two weeks or so:
From the United Nations:
He sounds terrible
More from last week:
Others agree - he looks and sounds awful at U.N.
His return from a campaign rally earlier this month:
Trump looks terrible
You want some more? Well, here's some more:
He forgets the name of his son... and that he is the father.
Talking about China tariffs:
Struggles to make sense
Aaron Rupar's wrap-up of wild statements earlier this month:
A deep hodge-podge of crazy talk from two weeks ago
Allow me to introduce you to Tom Joseph. He's an interesting guy. I don't think he's always right and he can exaggerate. He's definitely not a doctor. But he does have much experience with Dementia victims and his observations are useful. This thread was made in May and things have only gotten worse since then. I don't think he's wrong:
Tom Joseph twitter, following Trump possible dementia
So what are we really looking at? Trump has been a shady grifting mobster-channeling bully all of his life. His moral compass has no True North and spins madly around, inducing vertigo for the rest of us. His character is dedicated towards self-benefit at all costs. He's been a severely flawed man since he left boyhood. His genius has been in marketing himself as a colossal success story while hiding the ugly truth back stage.
But now his real self can't be contained and covered up.
Malignant Narcissism is not a formally recognized disorder diagnosis, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. But most in the psychiatric field recognize it as an unfortunate combination of two psychological disorders: Narcissism Personality Disorder and Anti-Social Disorder. This list of symptoms for both disorders are revealing. Read and think about President Goombah:
NPD occurs on a spectrum and involves a range of symptoms. The DSM-5 lists nine traits that help identify NPD, but only five are needed for diagnosis.
Common symptoms of NPD include:
- grandiose fantasies and behavior, such as a preoccupation with thoughts of personal success, power, and attractiveness or sex appeal
- little or no empathy for other people’s emotions or feelings
- a significant need for attention, admiration, and recognition
- an inflated sense of self-importance, such as a tendency to exaggerate personal talent or achievements
- a belief in personal specialness and superiority
- a sense of entitlement
- a tendency to take advantage of others or exploit people for personal gain
- arrogant or conceited behavior and attitudes
- a tendency to envy others and believe others envy them
- disdain for authority and social norms, shown by continued illegal or lawbreaking behavior
- a pattern of deceit, including exploitation and manipulation of other people
- reckless, impulsive, or risky behavior that shows disregard for personal safety or the safety of other people
- little or no remorse for harmful or illegal actions
- a generally hostile, irritable, aggressive, restless, or agitated mood
- a pattern of irresponsible, arrogant, or disrespectful behavior
- difficulty planning ahead
Now let's take a look at Dementia symptoms:
Mayo Clinic symptoms of dementia
-- Memory loss
-- Difficulty communicating or finding words
-- Difficulty with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving
-- Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving
-- Difficulty with planning and organizing
-- Difficulty with coordination and motor functions
-- Confusion and disorientation
-- Personality changes
-- Depression
-- Anxiety
-- Inappropriate behavior
-- Agitation
-- Hallucinations
And here is a fun list compiled by our friend Tom Joseph. Yes, this is mostly true stuff:
Jeez. Combine Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Anti-Social Disorder, plus add an increasing level of Dementia and we have a clear and present danger in the Oval Office.
All of this is incredibly concerning, of course. What makes it all the more alarming is how his base, the most dedicated of followers, perceive things:
"Malignant Normality" is a term popularized by Dr. Robert Jay Lifton in a study of Nazi doctors and the German public. According to a group of psychiatrists called "Duty To Warn", it occurs "when a segment of society sees reality through the skewed lens of its leader. Its in full bloom. Norms are shattered. Previously unthinkable behavior is routine. Guardrails disappear. Democracy decays. Mental health has to be more of the story."
I believe this to be very much a part of our current story. And for this skewed leader, we've seen and heard rumblings and actions from behind the curtain. Former Assistant Director of Department of Justice Rod Rosenstein, Robert Mueller's boss, tried to get the Cabinet to enact Trump's removal through the 25th Amendment (he says he was joking, and was joking when he said he would be willing to wear a wire to meetings with the President, ha ha). There was the infamous Anonymous Letter to the New York Times that described high-level staff's concerns about Trump and how he is "managed". And there was the more-relevant-than-ever quote from Nancy Pelosi following a brief, strange and abruptly-concluded meeting with the President in May:
Pelosi: "Again, I pray for the President of the United States. I wish that his family, or his administration or his staff would have an intervention. Maybe he wants to take a leave of absence."
Reporter: "Your prayer comments almost suggest you're concerned about his well-being."
Pelosi: "I am."
Something else to consider: Trump made his now infamous phone call to the Ukrainian President the day after Robert Mueller testified to Congress about possible collusion with Russia. His mindset is cast. He doesn't care about consequences, because everything he thinks and says is the truth, no matter what. His mind and body are a toxic vessel of supreme dysfunction. He is unfit for office.
Now for the real speculation:
We all know about the call and the Whistleblower complaint and a path for Impeachment action is being drawn. Already we see super-shady stuff like White House lawyers being instructed to move telephone transcripts to a highly-classified cyber "vault", where no prying eyes would see them. We hear that this is not the first time such a transfer was made. There is much DC conjecture about transcripts regarding Saudi Arabia/MBS and the Jamal Khoshoggi murder; Putin and anything/especially the Helsinki meeting; and North Korea conversations. It's an investigative Holy Grail of sorts.
Those who may be in immediate jeopardy are White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and probably former White House counsel Don McGahn. Others who are going to feel real repercussions include Secretary of State Pompeo, Attorney General Bill Barf, and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner. A possibility is Vice President Pounce. And, of course, our Chief Executive.
I've seen this all as a five-act play. Act One - The Election. Act Two - The First Year. Act Three - Mueller. Act Four - "I got away with it." Act Five - Rectify. Act Five seems to be underway. We will know it's drawing to a close when people like Paul Manafort start singing from prison and Kelly Ann Conway jump ship. It may all happen much faster than anyone thinks. I'm calling it here: Impeachment Articles will pass the House by mid-December, Senate Trial begins mid-January, Senate Vote by the Ides of March. Trump is acquitted by a very, verrrry thin margin. But it doesn't matter. He's been fully exposed and is toast, except for the die-hard 35% base (which may even shrink a point or three). The GOP will work behind the scenes to remove him as their 2020 nominee.
Let's see what happens!
