Game Over, Mr. Trump: Narcissist to the Last
The Republicans’ midterm election rout proves that even Donald Trump’s personal powers have their limits. A wounded president will present an even greater risk in the short term.
"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?” When the then real estate mogul Donald J. Trump made this boast during his first primary campaign at Dordt University in Iowa over 10 years ago, his message was crystal-clear: No matter what we do, we’re always going to be on an upward trajectory. As an automatic matter of course. We’re riding the tide of popular discontent. And we can get away with doing pretty much whatever we want.
It’s this mindset of fundamentally overblown self-confidence that Trump, Vladimir Putin and fellow strongmen leaders have in common. Nor is it an unfamiliar way of thinking to members of the far-right Alternative for Germany Party or the Freedom Party of Austria. You can get away with just about anything if it serves to amplify division and drive all manner of confrontation, above all with “the system.”
This fundamentally exaggerated belief in one’s own capabilities lies at the heart of narcissism. Trump, with his delusions of personal greatness, has long since become the Republicans’ biggest liability. A sort of dead weight that no one knows how to safely get rid of anymore.
Erratic decisions leading to military conflicts and the destabilizing of whole societies. Decisions that reverberate all over the world — right up to the high energy costs we’re all facing again this winter.
He has simply gone way too far.
Trump the Kleptocrat
It’s abundantly clear that Trump has been systematically abusing the U.S. state and government institutions for his own personal gain. The kleptocrat has already funneled billions into his own coffers. All derived from operating the U.S. presidency according to an unethical business model.
His actions, and particularly his war in Iran, have led to a dramatic rise in living costs.
And he is now having to pick up the tab. By taking overall control of Congress, the Democrats have acquired an effective platform from which to challenge President Trump in the remaining half of his presidential term. It’s a moment of awakening for those democratic opposition forces that have so far all too often been unable to challenge him sufficiently.
Trump himself topped off his infamous “and shoot somebody” comment with “It's, like, incredible.” He must have experienced a moment of clarity. Because not only would it be an incredible, but also an impossible, act. Not every crazy idea to enter an authoritarian leader’s head lies within the realm of possibility. That’s a defining feature of democracy. Even Trump is subject to the laws of physics and the Constitution.
A Wounded Man
If his name had been on the ballot, Trump wrote in an indignant social media post on Wednesday, the Republicans would have won “IN A LANDSLIDE." But the fact is, he wasn’t on the ballot. These words revealed just how aggrieved he felt.
European glee at the U.S. Democrats’ victory cannot disguise the fact that, following this election, a deeply wounded Trump will likely become even more unpredictable and even more dangerous in the short term. Yes, his authority has been weakened. Yes, it has brought him back down to earth. Wednesday’s midterm election night made a desperate, lame duck of the most powerful man in the world.
The democratic powers on this earth will have to remain extremely vigilant in the months ahead to ensure that things do not go completely off the rails. Trump is going to try to take down as many others with him as he possibly can.
"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?” When the then real estate mogul Donald J. Trump made this boast during his first primary campaign at Dordt University in Iowa over 10 years ago, his message was crystal-clear: No matter what we do, we’re always going to be on an upward trajectory. As an automatic matter of course. We’re riding the tide of popular discontent. And we can get away with doing pretty much whatever we want.
It’s this mindset of fundamentally overblown self-confidence that Trump, Vladimir Putin and fellow strongmen leaders have in common. Nor is it an unfamiliar way of thinking to members of the far-right Alternative for Germany Party or the Freedom Party of Austria. You can get away with just about anything if it serves to amplify division and drive all manner of confrontation, above all with “the system.”
This fundamentally exaggerated belief in one’s own capabilities lies at the heart of narcissism. Trump, with his delusions of personal greatness, has long since become the Republicans’ biggest liability. A sort of dead weight that no one knows how to safely get rid of anymore.
Erratic decisions leading to military conflicts and the destabilizing of whole societies. Decisions that reverberate all over the world — right up to the high energy costs we’re all facing again this winter.
He has simply gone way too far.
Trump the Kleptocrat
It’s abundantly clear that Trump has been systematically abusing the U.S. state and government institutions for his own personal gain. The kleptocrat has already funneled billions into his own coffers. All derived from operating the U.S. presidency according to an unethical business model.
His actions, and particularly his war in Iran, have led to a dramatic rise in living costs.
And he is now having to pick up the tab. By taking overall control of Congress, the Democrats have acquired an effective platform from which to challenge President Trump in the remaining half of his presidential term. It’s a moment of awakening for those democratic opposition forces that have so far all too often been unable to challenge him sufficiently.
Trump himself topped off his infamous “and shoot somebody” comment with “It's, like, incredible.” He must have experienced a moment of clarity. Because not only would it be an incredible, but also an impossible, act. Not every crazy idea to enter an authoritarian leader’s head lies within the realm of possibility. That’s a defining feature of democracy. Even Trump is subject to the laws of physics and the Constitution.
A Wounded Man
If his name had been on the ballot, Trump wrote in an indignant social media post on Wednesday, the Republicans would have won “IN A LANDSLIDE." But the fact is, he wasn’t on the ballot. These words revealed just how aggrieved he felt.
European glee at the U.S. Democrats’ victory cannot disguise the fact that, following this election, a deeply wounded Trump will likely become even more unpredictable and even more dangerous in the short term. Yes, his authority has been weakened. Yes, it has brought him back down to earth. Wednesday’s midterm election night made a desperate, lame duck of the most powerful man in the world.
The democratic powers on this earth will have to remain extremely vigilant in the months ahead to ensure that things do not go completely off the rails. Trump is going to try to take down as many others with him as he possibly can.
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