Much virtual ink has been splattered about the various psychiatric diagnoses which Donald Trump seems to exhibit numerous symptoms and signs.
I respectfully suggest that precisely labeling Trump’s grab-bag of psychopathology is less significant, in thinking about the future of our nation, than understanding the psychology of those who support him— tens of millions of fellow Americans who are prepared to vote for someone who is: a) a vile, deranged moron, b) a racist, misogynistic, homophobic, religious bigot; c) a corrupt lying criminal; d) an utter fraud, e) also truly creepy. All wrapped in one nauseating package.
Who does that?
In a great diary, DKos’ own Murfster35 compares Trump supporters to cult members. I think it’s an apt comparison, and Murfster makes a solid case for thinking of Trump supporters in this way; please read the whole argument.
I’d like to add my rough take on the psychological profile of typical Trump supporters, what I see as basically two categories into which Trump supporters fall: 1) the psychopath/sociopath cohort, and 2) those that live in a world composed of their own mental constructs, or pathologically fantasy prone people. (Both groups would be especially attracted to following an authoritarian cult leader, like Trump.)
In Part 1, I’ll discuss the first group, the psychopath/sociopath cohort, and in Part 2, the pathologically fantasy prone people. As with all such over-generalizations, there will be some individuals who seem to fit in both groups, and some Trump supporters who don’t seem to fit either. My contention is that most Trump supporters fit in one or both of these categories.
Psychopaths and Sociopaths
Of the two categories of Trump supporters, this is by far the smaller contingent, but of course a deeply troubling contingent. The psychopaths and sociopaths are also the Trump supporters to be found amongst the upper echelons of his organization. They are the braintrust, the most loyal operatives, the field commanders for Trump.
I wish to emphasize that I am not using these terms casually. I am referring to people who meet accepted criteria for psychopathy and sociopathy. The two terms are sometimes used inter-changeably, but they are distinct.**
The best known researcher of psychopathy is Robert Hare, and he identified predominant characteristics displayed by an individual who is psychopathic:
Robert Hare’s Checklist of Psychopathy Symptoms:
1. GLIB AND SUPERFICIAL CHARM — the tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath never gets tongue-tied. He can also be a great listener, to simulate empathy while zeroing in on his targets’ dreams and vulnerabilities, to be able to manipulate them better.
2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH — a grossly inflated view of one’s abilities and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart. Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human beings.
3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM — an excessive need for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or routine.
4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING — can be moderate or high; in moderate form, they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous, manipulative and dishonest.
5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS: the use of deceit and deception to cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and suffering of one’s victims.
6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT: a lack of feelings or concern for the losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned, dispassionate, coldhearted and unempathic. This item is usually demonstrated by a disdain for one’s victims.
7. SHALLOW AFFECT: emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open gregariousness and superficial warmth.
8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY: a lack of feelings toward people in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE: an intentional, manipulative, selfis, and exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of motivation, low self-discipline and the inability to carry through one’s responsibilities.
10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS: expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: a variety of brief, superficial relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual partners; the maintenance of numerous, multiple relationships at the same time; a history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity (rape) or taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits and conquests.
12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS: a variety of behaviors prior to age 13, including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use and running away from home.
13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS: an inability or persistent failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
14. IMPULSIVITY: the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation, frustrations and momentary urges; a lack of deliberation without considering the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic and reckless.
15. IRRESPONSIBILITY: repeated failure to fulfill or honor obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing to honor contractual agreements.
16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS: a failure to accept responsibility for one’s actions reflected in low conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate others through this denial.
17. MANY SHORT-TERM RELATIONSHIPS: a lack of commitment to a long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and unreliable commitments in life, including in marital and familial bonds.
18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: behavior problems between the ages of 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous, ruthless tough-mindedness.
19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE: a revocation of probation or other conditional release due to technical violations, such as carelessness, low deliberation or failing to appear.
20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY: a diversity of types of criminal offenses, regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them; taking great pride at getting away with crimes or wrongdoings.
The Trump confidant who reflects these attributes most clearly is Roger Stone, who played a role in Nixon’s illegal activities in the White House. Note in the following passage his relationship with Roy Cohn, lawyer for the mafia, and for Donald Trump:
He [Cohn] used to say, ‘Don’t tell me the law. Tell me the judge.’ Roy knew how the world worked.” Following Cohn’s lead, Stone played hardball for Reagan, challenging George H. W. Bush’s New York primary delegates on a variety of technical grounds, getting many of them disqualified…
He [Cohn]was interested in power and access. He told me his absolute goal was to die completely broke and owing millions to the I.R.S. He succeeded in that.” Cohn was a role model for Stone.
Here is a more pointed description of Stone:
“During the Reagan years in Washington, Stone began cultivating in earnest the image of a lovable rogue. Then, as now, some colleagues and clients found Stone’s affectations tiresome, at best. Ed Rollins, who served as President Reagan’s first political director, said, “Roger was a fringe player around town. He always had this reputation of being a guy who exaggerated things, who pretended he did things. Roger was never on Nixon’s staff, was never on the White House staff. I don’t think you’ll find anyone in the business who trusts him. Roger was always a little rat.”
“Stone is a thug who relishes personal insults, character assassination, and offensive gestapo-like tactics that should be unequivocally dismissed by civil society, most especially those who might give him a platform from which to spew his hatred.
“The news media have for far too long ignored Stone’s inflammatory words. I hope all media outlets that lament the debasement of political dialogue and the gutter politics for which Stone is infamous follow the lead of CNN and MSNBC. The media should shun him. He is the David Duke of politics. Those with whom he is affiliated should denounce him in no uncertain terms.”
In short, Stone is a psychopath.
Trump’s newest adviser, Roger Ailes, appears more like a sociopath:
Highly functioning sociopaths are adept at morphing themselves into what people want to see. They very quickly learn what makes people tick, and they know just how to engineer and oil the clock. This type of sociopath
- has superior intelligence, as demonstrated by observed behavior and IQ tests;
- possesses impeccable social skills and exudes charm;
- often comes from a strong family background;
- is driven—he knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it;
- is calculating, cleverly assessing a situation and purposely planning action;
- is patient and willing to work people and situations until the time is right to make his move.
His time at Fox exemplifies this:
The key to decoding Fox News isn’t Bill O’Reilly or Sean Hannity. It isn’t even News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch. To understand what drives Fox News, and what its true purpose is, you must first understand Chairman Ailes. “He is Fox News,” says Jane Hall, a decade-long Fox commentator who defected over Ailes’ embrace of the fear-mongering Glenn Beck. “It’s his vision. It’s a reflection ofhim.”…
To watch even a day of Fox News – the anger, the bombast, the virulent paranoid streak, the unending appeals to white resentment, the reporting that’s held to the same standard of evidence as a late-October attack ad – is to see a refraction of its founder, one of the most skilled and fearsome operatives in the history of the Republican Party. As a political consultant, Ailes repackaged Richard Nixon for television in 1968, papered over Ronald Reagan’s budding Alzheimer’s in 1984, shamelessly stoked racial fears to elect George H.W. Bush in 1988, and waged a secret campaign on behalf of Big Tobacco to derail health care reform in 1993. "He was the premier guy in the business," says former Reagan campaign manager Ed Rollins. "He was our Michelangelo."…
Ailes is also, by turns, a tyrant: "I only understand friendship or scorched earth," he has said. One former deputy pegs him as a cross between Don Rickles and Don Corleone. "What’s fun for Roger is the destruction," says Dan Cooper, a key member of the team that founded Fox News. "When the light bulb goes on and he’s got the trick to outmaneuver the enemy – that’s his passion."
And we all now know how he used his fiefdom to horrifically exploit and abuse women.
Roger Ailes most closely fits the mold of a sociopath.
Such individuals have always found their way to the highest levels of political influence, and perhaps some always will. The most important thing to remember about psychopaths and sociopaths— attempting to engage them in reasoned discourse is fruitless. If one did try, the Roger Stones and Roger Ailes of the world would immediately see this person as a potential victim, a fool, and one more person to be used in the manner the psychopath/sociopath sees fit.
**From: Psychopathy, Antisocial Personality & Sociopathy: The Basics A History Review
The terms psychopathy, antisocial personality, and sociopathy have periodically been used interchangeably, which has resulted in a degree of conceptual difficulty. This review reveals that psychopathy is a specific type of personality and behavioral phenomena that by its nature has been classified as toxic, parasitic, predatory, destructive, etc., to others. This review also reveals that psychopathy, even while in the midst of conceptual difficulty, has been largely distinguished from personality traits and/or behaviors that have been associated with mental illness or some other type of psychosis related conditions.