Far, FAR too many things have become normalized...far, far too quickly. I was girded to expect most of Donald's executive orders and the unraveling of America they will quickly bring...I knew Project 2025 was no joke before the rapid fire DOJ and civil service firings happened. I did not expect overt threats to conquer Greenland, and possibly Canada and Mexico, acts that are 100% Hitlerian, and will be made to seem normal, acceptable ways to "Make America Great Again". All we can do is NOT FOR ONE SECOND accept these things as normal or acceptable, and though the urge to retreat from the horror of current events is understandable, we must never stop speaking about them, and making sure people - especially young people who have never known a nation without Trump in a position of such unfathomable power - never stop hearing about how wrong they are, and why.
you’ve captured the heart of what’s at stake, and I want to expand on what you’ve said.
The threats about Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal, or even parts of Mexico—they’re not just bluster. They’re very real, and we’d be wise to take them seriously. From where I sit in Germany, this mirrors a pattern of history we know all too well.
Trump’s behavior is driven by what we call "Großmannssucht"—a delusional grandeur that feeds on the need to be seen as a savior. It’s the same psychological pattern seen in figures like Hitler or Emperor Wilhelm II, where a bruised ego demands constant validation through power and control.
For DT, everything must be destroyed—not because it’s failing, but because it’s functioning.
President Biden handed over a country in remarkable shape—low unemployment, a recovering economy, and systems working as they should. That’s the problem for someone like Trump. How can he rebuild or "fix" a nation if there’s nothing visibly broken?
For DT's narrative to hold, he has to dismantle everything—tearing down democracy, destabilizing institutions, and leaving chaos in his wake.
This isn’t just about ego; it’s a calculated move.
If The People allow it, he’ll position himself as the one to rebuild what he destroyed, claiming credit for “saving” a nation he actively sabotaged. His actions now are laying the groundwork for that delusion to play out.
The real question isn’t whether he’ll try—because he will.
The question is whether the People will let him.
This is the moment to stand firm, to refuse normalization, and to push back against the idea that destruction can masquerade as leadership. History shows us what happens when figures like Trump are unchecked.
Let’s not allow the past to write the future. Never Again Is NOW!
Donald Trump's stock in trade, so to speak, is that he deliberately breaks something that isn't broken and looks like the hero fixing it. The problem is that he's so fucking stupid and inept that he CAN'T fix it. But those who worship him give him their props for trying and think that he has done them a favor.
His other trick is that he continually and constantly threatens terrible, destructive policies, and when he doesn't put those policies into effect, it elicits a response of gratitude over how kind and generous Dear Leader is to spare his subjects.
It's so obvious to me and to most of us that all of this is a page right out of Hitler's playbook. And certainly, Donnie is too thick and lazy to come up with all of these ideas himself. He has many people behind the scenes pulling his strings and whispering in his ear, and his toxic narcissism is only too glad to listen.
I see where you’re coming from, and I view DT’s behavior through a slightly different lens, shaped by 46 years of living under a narcissistic system of oppression.
I’ve never known a narcissist to let anyone tell them what to do or not to do—that’s simply not how they operate. Everything we’re witnessing stems from what he genuinely believes is right and true in any given moment, no matter how detached from reality it may be.
Take the pardons, for example—those decisions weren’t whispered into his ear by advisors. They were entirely his, driven by his own need for loyalty and control. If he decided tomorrow that annexing Canada or threatening Greenland with nuclear force aligned with his vision of power, it would be his choice, and he’d act on it without hesitation.
This isn’t about puppet strings being pulled behind the scenes; it’s about the unchecked actions of someone whose delusional grandeur drives everything they do. His decisions are his own, and only direct, decisive action will prevent him from carrying them out. That’s the stark reality we’re dealing with.
To add to this, one of his supporters told me the other day that the Big Lie that Trump won the 2020 election isn’t actually a lie because Trump believes it to be true. If lies aren’t lies because the liars “believe they are true” and should therefore be taken as the truth by his supporters… I don’t know where we go from here.
I used to think he really believed his lies. But now I know better. He's a master con, but he's not delusional. He knows what the truth is. He just doesn't give a damn.
What you described about Trump believing his own lies fits perfectly into the framework of narcissism.
For him, reality isn’t something external or shared; it’s whatever aligns with his self-image in the moment. The truth becomes fluid, molded to protect his sense of superiority and control. And when his followers adopt that same perspective—taking his beliefs as truth—it creates a closed loop that’s nearly impossible to penetrate.
I’ve been reflecting on what you shared, and it reminded me of something I’ve learned from the Arbinger Institute about how we see and engage with others.
When a person, here DT—or his supporters—believes something so strongly that it shapes their reality, it can feel impossible to have a meaningful conversation.
The Arbinger approach offers a different way to look at this.
When people are convinced they’re right, especially in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it’s often because they’re in a mindset of self-justification.
They’ve chosen a narrative that explains their world, and challenging that narrative feels, to them, like a personal attack. In their eyes, anyone who disagrees becomes “the enemy.”
In situations like this, the best response may not be engagement at all. At least for that moment. Walk away. disengage, instead of escalation.
The Arbinger philosophy teaches that when our hearts are at war—when we see others as objects rather than people—any attempt at connection or understanding falls flat.
And if someone sees you as “the enemy,” there’s no space for real dialogue.
Instead of trying to convince or correct, we can choose to live in truth ourselves.
That might mean staying silent when engagement isn’t possible, or focusing on actions that preserve what’s real and just.
It also means recognizing the humanity even in those we disagree with—not to excuse harmful behavior, but to avoid becoming trapped in the same cycles of dehumanization and blame.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is simply refuse to play the game of “us versus them.”
By stepping outside of that dynamic, we create the possibility—not the guarantee, but the possibility—of something better, and for longer lasting change.
My focus is pulled towards working within my local community regarding education. Small communities finding and creating coalitions to raise awareness is giving me hope and energy. Understanding the Texas Constitution is a step towards positive change.
Melissa, I really appreciate your clear and succinct description of how a malignant narcissist operates (retired psychoanalyst here). I have been so frustrated for the past 10 years that Trump's severe psychopathology has not been front and centre in how he's been talked/written about. There are a few exceptions (Dr. Brandy Lee comes to mind, and of course our Mary, and the two docs over at Shrinking Trump) but for the most part the pundits are as ignorant as the general populace, especially with regard to Trump's need to destroy anything and everything that is "good." I think part of the root of normalisation in these circumstances is ignorance combined with the anxiety of so much chaos, uncertainty, and fear, which are very real and very understandable reactions -- but we cannot afford to simply let that ride. There is much more that can be said, but I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks for your astute observations.
Carol, I guess here, that you where answering to my comment (Wild Lion*esses Pride by Jay) on Mesila and not directly on Mesila.
Thank you for your thoughtful words and for sharing your perspective as a retired psychoanalyst.
I appreciate the professional affirmation of what I’ve observed and experienced through my own lens, as a survivor of 46 years of living within a narcissistic oppressive system. My journey dismantling that system internally has been long and deeply personal, filled with psychotherapy, psychiatric appointments, systemic coaching, and more books on the topic than I can count.
What stands out to me about DT—and what I think remains so underrated in the U.S.—is exactly what you highlighted: his severe psychopathology and its destructive impact.
It’s not just about poor decision-making or corruption; it’s about a compulsion to dismantle anything that is functional, effective, or thriving. His need to destroy isn’t incidental—it’s central to how he operates.
Your professional background can much better judge the normalization rooted in ignorance and anxiety. I have come to know from analysing and changing my behavior., that when people are overwhelmed by chaos and fear, it’s tempting to look away or dismiss a behavior as “just so.”
But it isn’t.
The chaos is the point.
It feeds the need for control, for validation, for a narrative where he can cast himself as the hero rising from the ashes of his own creation.
I’ve found Mary’s insights invaluable, and I’m grateful for voices like Dr. Brandy Lee and others who have worked to bring this understanding to the forefront. But as you said, the broader conversation often misses the mark.
That’s why voices like yours are so important. Together, we can hold space for the truth and keep pushing it into the light.
Thank you for your reflections and for bringing your expertise to this critical discussion. It matters.
You stated "I’ve never known a narcissist to let anyone tell them what to do or not to do—that’s simply not how they operate. Everything we’re witnessing stems from what he genuinely believes is right and true in any given moment, no matter how detached from reality it may be." This is certainly true of narcissists in general. I can't remember who said this about him, but it was one of the people in his first administration. I believe that it was John Kelly, who was one of his chiefs of staff, who ended up speaking out against him. Whomever it was said something to the effect that Trump will listen to the last person who spoke with him and start spouting what they have said, and taking action on that. Then another person will speak to him and he will shift to their position.
A factor that I don't believe you've mentioned is that Trump clearly has dementia. I'm a psychologist who has conducted assessments of numerous people with severe language and memory problems due to dementia. His symptoms of dementia have been discussed since his first term, but it has only been recently that some in corporate media have started mentioning it. David Pakman regularly has one of the psychiatrists from the Duty To Warn group on his podcast, reviewing videos of Trump's deteriorating functioning. The theory is that he has frontotemporal dementia, possibly due to contracting syphilis during his promiscuous years in the 80s. His forward-leaning posture and stiff walk are consistent with this. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-dementia-evidence-overwhelming-top-psychiatrist-1881247
Kathi, thank you for the additional context and for sharing your expertise as a psychologist. It adds a layer of professional insight that complements the lived experiences many of us bring to this discussion.
As a private German citizen, my engagement in these conversations comes from my own personal journey and context—having lived under an oppressive, narcissistic system within my family for 46 years. While I refrained from directly bringing that into this broader discussion, your observations resonate deeply with me.
I’ve been aware of the discussions around Trump’s mental fitness, and from my perspective, it’s astonishing that, over the last four years, this hasn’t been addressed more forcefully—if only for medical reasons.
Based on what I observe, his behavior clearly points to mental unfitness, and I can’t help but think that in Germany, a personality displaying similar symptoms might be considered a cause for admission to a closed ward in a psychiatric clinic, given the risks his behavior poses to the public.
The fact that this person has access to the nuclear codes is staggering. I find myself wondering what would happen if, in one of his erratic moments—perhaps during a late-night gathering in his "parlor choir"—he decided the Canadians had annoyed him enough and thought it was time to "teach them a lesson."
With him such a scenario doesn’t seem entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Your mention of frontotemporal dementia adds yet another dimension to this already complex and dangerous situation.
If his deteriorating condition is as evident as you describe, the risk becomes not just theoretical, yet is immediate and tangible.
Thank you for pointing out the works of Dr. Bandy X. Lee and Steven Hassan.
It’s clear we need more conversations like these, grounded in expertise and shared openly, to navigate the challenges this situation presents.
Your voice and professional perspective are crucial. I deeply appreciate you engaging with and bringing your perspective into the discussion.
It matters greatly, especially at a time when so much is at stake.
Her name is Bandy X. Lee, not Brandy Lee. She and several other mental health professionals wrote the essays that make up the book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President - Updated and Expanded with New Essays, by Bandy X. Lee , Jeffrey Sachs, et al. | Mar 19, 2019. It was originally released in 2017, and several of the authors testified to members of Congress in a closed session, as I recall, to express their concerns. I'm a psychologist, and have read this book and numerous others on the subject. I highly recommend The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control by Steven Hassan | Sep 1, 2020.
Wild Lion*esses, thank you for your perspective from Germany; it's really helpful. We must stand firm against Trump, as the Inspectors General are doing now.
You are very welcome. I am currently in the process of editing and cutting a walkthrough the former concentration camp Buchenwald with a specific eye on the current situation in the US and hopefully I'll get it finished during February. I would be very glad for people amplifying my efforts to show what is along the horizon if this goes unchecked.
Wild Lion, you are right about the normalization. Our media participated in this whole-heartedly for over a decade letting people think Donald Trump, a failed businessman, a cheat, a liar, an accused sex-offender was someone who was normal and could be a leader for America. They thought it a joke at first, but people, gullible people, believed them, and the money poured in from the oligarchs to make Trump happen. Now, our job is going to have to be to unnormalize Trump for several reasons: he is an insurrectionist, a serial liar, a threat to our national and group safety, a threat to our planet, and he has dementia which means he can't remember what he is trying to do unless he is reminded. His speech has no affect as he reads what he is given. He can remember a few of his lines and he still knows who he hates and wants to destroy, but there are no details. The rest of the toddlers in the Trump playground are controlling things and it is time our courts and states stand up and stop the steal. I don't know what happened in this past election, but something did. Isn't it interesting that all the "swing states" just happened to go for Trump? I am hoping someone actually looks into this so we can see what was done either through our mail or with our voting machines to figure it out. I know a lot of people decided a supposedly rich, white, male, fool, Trump was better than a caring decent human being who was also a woman of color, but something else was going on too.
Your words resonate deeply, and I want to offer another perspective from where I stand.
While it’s essential to expose the failures, manipulations, and crimes that have led us here—and to take decisive action to end this crisis and presidency, including, if necessary, the use of military support—I also believe there’s a danger in demonizing those responsible.
Reducing individuals or groups to caricatures of evil traps us in what’s often called "horribilizing."
This Old Testament mindset—an eye for an eye—doesn’t resolve conflict; it prolongs it. History shows us that dehumanizing the other side only deepens divisions, making reconciliation and true progress impossible.
I want to invite us to take a step back and recognize that, despite everything, these individuals remain human beings.
Their actions must be addressed through the rule of law, not vengeance. That’s why the Nuremberg Trials, or the trials in South Africa were significant—they held people accountable within a framework of justice, not retribution.
As the Arbinger Institute observes, "When our hearts are at war, we tend to exaggerate others’ faults." We focus on extremes, magnifying differences until we lose sight of our shared humanity. This doesn’t excuse wrongdoing—it emphasizes the importance of remaining grounded in our collective humanity, even as we seek accountability.
On a broader scale, this tendency to exaggerate differences fuels many conflicts—whether rooted in race, gender, religion, or class.
The more we focus on those divisions, from both sides of the fence, the easier it becomes to justify mistreatment. Yet, by acknowledging common ground, we can begin to dismantle the systems that rely on division and perpetuate harm.
I understand your perspective, Ruth, and it aligns with so much of what we’re all trying to navigate.
Accountability is non-negotiable, and pairing it with the courage to recognize shared humanity is the key to breaking cycles of conflict and oppression.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts so thoughtfully—this is the kind of conversation we need to keep having.
Wild Lion, I reread what I wrote and find nowhere that I even implied that those who voted for and support Trump are not fully human, misguided, but definitely human beings. I do hold at least partially responsible for what is going on those who are supporting and holding up Trump for quite some time. Trump's dementia is becoming more serious and it will not be long before he can't remember what he is doing. I am sure there are guys in power who are just waiting for that to push through even more outrageous moves against our nation and the world in Trump's name, but in the meantime, we all need to be conscious of what is going on and stand against it at every opportunity while also working in our communities to protect our neighbors, even those who voted so poorly.
Ruth, I deeply value the way you emphasize standing against harm and working within communities to protect neighbors, even those who voted differently.
That approach reflects humanity and kindness, which are so crucial right now. Recognizing everyone as a person, regardless of their choices, is a perspective I share wholeheartedly.
At the same time, I think it’s important to reflect on the language we use when discussing these topics.
Objectifying language, like "sure there are guys in power," lumps individuals into vague, faceless groups. While it might express frustration, it oversimplifies a complex issue and creates an “us vs. them” mentality that deepens divisions. Language like this shifts the focus from actions and systems—which must be addressed—toward reducing individuals to stereotypes. This can unintentionally feed into the dynamics we’re trying to dismantle.
For example, while I fully agree that Trump and his enablers must be removed from power, this goes far beyond the individuals involved. The issue is systemic. The American system has long been structured to protect the interests of the few, prioritizing wealth and influence over justice and humanity. In my view, the entire system needs modernization and reform, and those who have supported this regime should have no role in shaping that future.
We’ve seen how the erosion of democratic safeguards has allowed this regime to thrive.
Vulnerable Americans have been scapegoated, targeted, and dehumanized by a system designed to prioritize the powerful. Addressing this isn’t just about accountability—it’s about transformation at every level, ensuring the systems that sustain inequality are dismantled and replaced with structures that protect and empower all people.
Your point about reconnecting with neighbors, co-workers, and those we may have disengaged with over political differences is essential.
This is the time to find shared humanity and rebuild trust within communities. Yo are all in this together, and the solutions must come from working together, not against one another. The alternative—division, civil unrest, or further polarization—isn’t a viable path forward.
That said, this unity needs to come with accountability at the political level. Too many politicians have actively worked against the Constitution they vowed to uphold. Their actions demand consequences—not out of vengeance, but to uphold the principles of justice and ensure such betrayals are not repeated.
Thank you for fostering this conversation.
Your insights are deeply important, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to engage with them.
Wild Lion, I can see your concern, but it is rich white men in power who are doing the harm to the people of this nation with a little bit of help from a few white women and even fewer men of color, often young men of all groups who like the bullying of the Trump crew. Look at the lack of diversity. There is a white woman for UN Rep., a person who has proclaimed herself in numerous ways as not a fan of diversity while claiming she is not racist. Then, there's Tulsi Gabbard, a woman whose connections with foreign autocrats is very concerning. Rammaswammy's only claim to anything is that he is rich, but he is therefore, a great token as a man of South Asian descent. Pretty much the rest are rich white men and together, they are doing a lot of damage to women, people of color in general, and immigrants in particular. Then there is their set of attacks on trans persons. They probably know none or wouldn't know them if they were in the same room. It does not matter because they are only using them as a cause to wrap around "gullible" people. I use the word "gullible" deliberately because these are people who have chosen to either get caught up in the Trump cult or to live on the internet with no desire to fact-check or even slightly question the outrageous things those rich white men and their surrogates post or repost. They revel in mis and disinformation and gleefully pass it on. They are human beings who have decided that the pain of others is not theirs and so they must somehow deserve it, and whatever is done to them is OK. Germans know this well, having experienced it. We did experience this in the 1890s and a bit before and after, here in the US. It took a bunch of disgusted people to change things. Now white men are scared that the rest of us will know or at least make public what we have all known for a long time, white men are no better than anyone else, just more privileged, pampered, and given enormous deference. What is remarkable to me is that the vast majority of white men have not succumbed to the "superiority cult," to which Trump's cult is a subset. Most of the white men I have known have been beautiful people. (Maybe other types of men notice that I have been a feminist nearly since birth and won't associate with me if they think they are better than I am.) Some men are, of course as I am not a scientist, builder, business person, but most are equal with me or less skilled in the areas where I excel. I taught in public schools for 26 years and have in some way or other been a teacher all my life. Men involved in teaching often are more humble than other men. We who care need to stand up and say "no more. We will not permit you to do harm to our fellow human beings!" I hope those words and the actions tied to them will become a tsunami soon.
Vel, thank you. Here is the response I gave to Wild Lion.
Wild Lion, I can see your concern, but it is rich white men in power who are doing the harm to the people of this nation with a little bit of help from a few white women and even fewer men of color, often young men of all groups who like the bullying of the Trump crew. Look at the lack of diversity. There is a white woman for UN Rep., a person who has proclaimed herself in numerous ways as not a fan of diversity while claiming she is not racist. Then, there's Tulsi Gabbard, a woman whose connections with foreign autocrats is very concerning. Rammaswammy's only claim to anything is that he is rich, but he is therefore, a great token as a man of South Asian descent. Pretty much the rest are rich white men and together, they are doing a lot of damage to women, people of color in general, and immigrants in particular. Then there is their set of attacks on trans persons. They probably know none or wouldn't know them if they were in the same room. It does not matter because they are only using them as a cause to wrap around "gullible" people. I use the word "gullible" deliberately because these are people who have chosen to either get caught up in the Trump cult or to live on the internet with no desire to fact-check or even slightly question the outrageous things those rich white men and their surrogates post or repost. They revel in mis and disinformation and gleefully pass it on. They are human beings who have decided that the pain of others is not theirs and so they must somehow deserve it, and whatever is done to them is OK. Germans know this well, having experienced it. We did experience this in the 1890s and a bit before and after, here in the US. It took a bunch of disgusted people to change things. Now white men are scared that the rest of us will know or at least make public what we have all known for a long time, white men are no better than anyone else, just more privileged, pampered, and given enormous deference. What is remarkable to me is that the vast majority of white men have not succumbed to the "superiority cult," to which Trump's cult is a subset. Most of the white men I have known have been beautiful people. (Maybe other types of men notice that I have been a feminist nearly since birth and won't associate with me if they think they are better than I am.) Some men are, of course as I am not a scientist, builder, business person, but most are equal with me or less skilled in the areas where I excel. I taught in public schools for 26 years and have in some way or other been a teacher all my life. Men involved in teaching often are more humble than other men. We who care need to stand up and say "no more. We will not permit you to do harm to our fellow human beings!" I hope those words and the actions that follow from them will become a tsunami soon.
I don't know exactly how, but I think his Nazi Partner did something fishy when he had that contest to win a million dollars. Any thoughts on that, or has it been disproved? (Sorry for being off topic.)
That's one of the best analysis of Trump's destruction plans I have read. Thanks. For people to need a Savior, he creates the disaster first so they need rescuing. I've been viewing it as a abusive Narcissistic Family relationship dynamic. The abuser attacks neighbors, friends and other family members to isolate his victims so they have no one to turn towards when he increases the abuse. That's how I am viewing the Mexico/Canada/Greenland/Panama threats. They are all the places Americans would flee to when things get bad here.
Thank you for your comment—it’s an insightful way to frame the dynamic, and I appreciate how you’ve connected the dots to an abusive family system. Your point about isolating victims to tighten control is one I hadn’t directly applied to Trump’s geopolitical moves, but it fits eerily well.
The threats toward Canada, Greenland, Panama, and even Mexico come from another layer as well, one rooted in a distinctly Germanic streak I recognize from history and cultural patterns. Here in Germany, we call it Großmannssucht—a kind of delusional grandeur paired with ostentation and a need to prove one’s greatness through domination. It’s not just about control; it’s about rewriting the narrative to position oneself as a towering figure of salvation.
Historically, we’ve seen this with leaders like Wilhelm II, Hitler, and even further back with Charlemagne—figures driven by a blend of swagger, ostentation, and a compulsion to carve out their place as “saviors” of their people. This influence seems to resonate in Trump’s actions, where the need to destroy functioning systems isn’t just about breaking; it’s about setting the stage for a grand rescue, a fabricated heroism.
When I consider his moves against potential refuge points for Americans—those threats toward neighboring nations—I see both isolation tactics and the echoes of this Großmannssucht. It’s a chilling mix of personal pathology and cultural echoes that leads to precisely the kind of destructive leadership you’ve described.
Thank you for bringing this perspective into the conversation. It’s an important lens to understand what’s unfolding.
Well, I was gonna post it on Facebook with your attribution if you want or a non-if you didn’t and share it with colleagues. And I totally understand if you don’t want me to do that I just thought it was very powerful.
Thank you so much for finding it powerful, Janie! I am no longer on FB. I’d be honored if you’d like to share it, and I appreciate you asking first. Attribution as https://wildlionessespride.substack.com/ with this link https://www.marytrump.org/p/there-is-no-worst/comment/88732616 would be wonderful—it helps others connect with the original source. If you decide to share, feel free to let me know how it resonates with your colleagues. I’d love to hear their thoughts too! 🌟
I understand your points and while I agree, I cannot see where we, the people, can make any changes or even stop the lunacy so long as the congress continues to allow it. Perhaps I do not understand the various governmental functions and what they are allowed to do, but from what I have seen to-date, DT dismantles the selected Office first, then forbids anyone to perform the function that used to be part of it. It's almost as though he entices and wants the people to react with violence, to test the limits, just to see what he can get away with. It's like poking a sleeping bear, to waken it and see how you can enrage it and laugh as the bear rattles the cage. I am willing to learn and help in whatever way I can!
Agree 100%. A friend is conducting Resilience Training on Zoom, (if interested can get you the info.) I was struck by a simple statement he made to the effect that in this political environment, the smallest act of kindness can be considered a political act of resistance to Trump's tyrrany.
Vaclav Havel wrote about the power of Hope as resistance to the evil of tyrrany.
Yes, for me the resistance takes the form of love. It’s critical that we do not succumb to feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. (Don’t get me wrong, there will be days when it’s tough to get a leg up to climb out of the pit of despair.) Putting one foot in front of the other, moving with the intention of loving and healing.
I survived a childhood with a violent, incestuous alcoholic father, where every night at the dinner table he spewed an assortment of slurs - racial, homophobic, etc. My mother accepted the behavior from “the man of the house.” Many, many years later I feel like I’m a frightened little kid at that table again.
Lorraine - Stay with this community, who sees you and gets you. As a good friend said to me in a moment of my despair decades ago - see how it has stayed with me - "You are not that little kid anymore!" Healing is built in; let it be! Blessings - Katie D
My Father was also a alcoholic and issued raving monologues nightly. I started searching for healing and couldn't find a group that exhibited resolution as they seemed to be reliving past agony without results. I found the trauma was held in my body's memories and that was the level they needed to be released at. I used the original form of Rolfing. Rebirthing, Holotropic Breathing, allowing flashbacks and then intentionally remembering them and rewriting the endings seem to release the body by giving it a choice instead of being locked into a rigid past memory. Wishing you further progress and healing.
I'm such a huge fan of The Good in Us, I think it's so brave of you to speak out. You and Jeff Tiedrich inspired me to start my own newsletter, a parallel universe where Harris won and Trump ...doesn't. Ever. At anything. Which is a weird thing to recommend to one of his family members, but these are the times we live in. Keep resisting!
"Former President Trump Loses Pinky Toe; Remaining Shreds of Sanity"
Let’s not normalize calling him President elect. Felon-elect works for me, or just Donald Trump. I'm not saying/typing “President” (when referring to Trump) until noon on January 20, 2029. Then he’ll just be the former convicted felon.
In fact, I will be wearing this "A convicted felon will NEVER be my president" shirt the next four years 👇
There was a saying from my youth, " if they had brains they would be dangerous ". Trump has no brains & leaving him & his cronies in power is like leaving Neanderthals in charge of a missile silo.
Trump is already deporting people under pretext they're felons. I keep thinking about the destruction to the families this is causing. Wondering how we can help people in danger in our communities. Any ideas?
I'm replying to my post but wanted to share what I just heard about undocumented people who have been in America a long time, some of them senior citizens, who are afraid to go out of the house for fear of being taken away by ICE. They are not keeping medical appointments and the younger ones are not picking up their children from school for the same reasons. The children are traumatized because their parents may be taken away so even though this is a Sanctuary State people are endangered and frightened.
Suggested ways to help: check to find out if there are housebound people in need of medical attention in your area. There is a group of doctors, nurses and dentists here in Santa Barbara who volunteer time to provide care for the homeless. Perhaps individual doctors and nurses could be contacted in your community to give emergency care for housebound undocumented.
Also, a GoFundMe could be set up to provide for emergency needs.
Finally, it would be such a great thing if therapists could volunteer their services to help children deal with the trauma they're experiencing.
You all out there have your own ways to help. I'd love to hear from you.
Ordinarily I might suggest a type of SANCTUARY, BUT unfortunately these beast - people would probably ignore them, then set fire to them or something equally HORRIBLE because many Trumpists act like monsters.
It is an offense against Americans to make us small. Read the poems of Whitman and stories of Emerson and Melville and Thoreau. Americans are, at our core, EXUBERANT! Dreamers! Inventors and innovators! The true vision of America is to challenge and grow EVERY CITIZEN to flourish.
Those who want to make us little, invisible, scurrying things, fearful of bullies, beholden to small persons with big egos - we are Americans! We laugh at punks and thrash bullies.
We will thrive anew after a bitter frost. We always DO!
I love your comments here! We are a great people and they are trying to lessen us. A gross miscalculation. We wont be LESS! If anything, we are going to end up being EVEN MORE before this bullshit is over.
Australia here - I know from my own personal experience (difficult divorce from a narcissistic gambling addict) that one doesn't know ones own strength until facing a particularly horrendous event in life. So yes, you will be 'EVEN MORE before this bullshit is over'. Best wishes to you all. 🙋♀️🇦🇺
Thank you, Karen! I think the strength and confidence that can be derived from adversity is going to be monumental here. I’ve been feeling it come up in me just over the last few days. Kind of exhilarating, really.
Republicans have discovered 👉'the easiest way to unravel democracy, you turn democracy against the constitution, by claiming that an election gave the winner a mandate to suspend or ignore laws," he argues. 👉"In reality, Americans gave Trump no such mandate. Multiple polls have found that they oppose pardons for people convicted of violent crimes on January 6th."
The SCOTUS majority is giving him powers of a dictator based upon the Federalist Society’s dubious idea of the unitary executive. It violates the separation of powers in the Constitution, and the Founders’ belief that the President was not above the law, but subject to it.
Indeed, and the Supreme Court, has made Trump, their party's dear leader above the law, they have in essence proclaimed that Trump while President, anything? he does is just part of him doing his job? what job is that precisely?🤔 is so that he can be as cruel as he wants, hurt people, hurt the most vulnerable, being a tyrant, attack immigrants, launch U.S military or even a secret police on own U.S citizens, who have the rights to free speech, to peacefully assemble via peaceful protests, when they see wrongs being committed or rights being taken away by his administration, or his destroying the natural world via his cronies to gut environmental laws so his pals, the worlds polluters can pollute with impunity, hence also impacting our health and survivability of the world's climate this and more, this all part of Trump doing his job? Yes', siree is it, it's just Trump, doing his hit job on U.S democracy, it's all ok is it, with his pals on Trumps Supreme Court
I know, all decent Americans need not nor should not fall into despair or give up, that’s what they want, we must fight back every which way we can and not give up, for all our freedoms and rights are on the line
While listening to the song, "Everybody Gotta Know", you listed at the bottom of your in-depth column, your paragraph stuck with me.
"And that’s how the accommodation starts. We grow up with the unacceptable and the unbearable and accommodation becomes a tool we use to make our lives easier. Accommodating the unacceptable and the unbearable is more often than not easier than doing the right thing—and then it becomes habitual. Eventually, we use it to let ourselves off the hook, because that’s easier, too."
Thank you for speaking truth to power - for all of your courageous honesty about Donald Trump, his enablers, and the enormous risk they are to our democracy, our environment, and the stability of the entire world.
I've read all three of your books - all brilliant - and especially appreciated Too Much and Never Enough. You clearly describe DT's narcissism, total lack of empathy, boundless greed, racism, misogyny, cruelty, and absolute lack of any moral compass - in addition to his lack of mental or emotional stability, his resistance to learning, his fascination with conspiracy theories, his paranoia, his ADD and poor impulse control, his personal cowardice and love of bullying others.
Like you, I am a clinical psychologist - and I'm stunned that so many people (who are smart and should know better) have refused to see DT's many, many toxic personal traits, and don't seem to understand that appeasing or supporting an amoral bully will only encourage him.
I'm stunned that the conservative members of the Supreme Court have abandoned all of their supposed moral principles (if they ever truly believed them) and given DT carte blanche for any criminal behavior he chooses to indulge in. So much for the "rule of law", the "party of law and order", and the "true patriots of America". All total lies. The hypocrisy of DT's enablers is mind- boggling.
Even if DT's enablers refuse to look at his psychopathology, a quick review of history - particularly Hitler's disastrous rise to power - would reveal that Trump is an enormous, existential threat to democracy, freedom, and our entire planet.
Since so many of DT's enablers and supporters are too weak, cowardly, or corrupt to resist his malign influence, it's more important than ever for "the resistance" to stand up to him. I know that many of us are exhausted from resisting for the last 8 years; but we cannot give up. GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION!! As you, Sherrilyn Ifill, and others have said, we must protect our own mental health and joy in life; at the same time, we must resist DT and his damaging policies, in whatever ways we can. Personally, I'm joining and supporting groups like the ACLU, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the Climate Reality Project, and encouraging friends and family to do the same.
Thank you for quoting the brilliant Maya Angelou, who understood protecting your personal joy, while courageously speaking truth to power. Wishing you all the best in your mission!
I wish I could give 100 Likes to your comment, Anne. I have also read Mary's 3 books and was so positively impacted by her clarity. I grew up, unfortunately, in a similarly dysfunctional family who pretended everything was fine, just, moral and right - while the oldest male child raped me (his 9 year old sister) when he was 14. At age 19, the happy-go-lucky middle son committed suicide. And yes, everything was fine, just, moral and right.
At age 30, I ceased all contact to any living members of my deranged family. That was 32 years ago. As a female growing up in that chaos of racism, misogyny, greed, lack of empathy, cruelty, beatings, and a complete lack of morals, I had to accommodate to stay alive. I often questioned my own sanity.
Now with this horrific "father figure" back in the White House, I mostly feel like I'm back in that dreaded family house, subject to all the evil that went on there without the comfort of knowing that one day I'll grow up and move far, far away.
100% accurate. What we are seeing is just how Hitler came to power. Any astute student of history should recognize it. Trumps cabinet appointments are, for lack of a better term, absolutely insane. However, they are perfect for what he wants. loyalists that will, without question, implement his demands. Trump, and his toadies have taken over the federal government at every level. The Dem leadership is way past it’s prime, and appear weak. They need a younger generation of talented leaders in key positions that will fight this onslaught at every turn without compromising. For the life of me, I don’t think they realize who they’re dealing with. 😎
I’m not a psychologist, but a layperson to psychology, and his destructive personality disorders are just so evident if you care to look at his behavior.
Is this your uncle’s mission in life? Cast everyone into fear? Congress is afraid. The civil service is afraid. The citizens of the US are afraid. And now the bullying has moved north of parallel 49. We in Canada are furious, but also afraid. And I am sure that many more in the greater western world have the same feeling. This above all IS NOT FREEDOM!
Agree Annie! Trump is infuriatingly and frightening. That pompous bully is wreaking havoc everywhere. Canadians are now focused on coping with that monster stirring intense anti-American feelings. Social media is full of ways to avoid buying anything made in the usa etc… a small gesture in the face of a trade war but helps to make people feel like they have some control I guess… I hope our leaders can unify and protect us -or at least mitigate damage- from the looming disaster.
Ironic that when trump won we felt “at least we’re not American… we’re safe here in Canada” oops!
I am sorry this is happening to you in Canada. If there was ever a war to come because of him, I would side with you, or any resistance. And I will fight for my family to not have to live in this current state of fascism. I also am afraid, I am a senior citizen who may lose everything, but maybe instead of my fear, I am more angry at my fellow Americans that thought putting him back in unlimited power was a good idea. Despicable.
The 'Bacala' ( my Italian slang term of endearment for him) is not a very good negotiator after all. Proposing 25% tarriff on goods from Canada & Mexico proves Mr. stable genius did not make the best deal last time under USMCA (NAFTA). Which IMO was OK as is but for him there is always a 'solution in search of a problem'. It's all smoke & mirrors. His insults to the 'The Great White North' is infuriating. I for one will try my best to avoid contributing to the US economy
from vacations or family visits to the states - especially the MAGA states.
Thank you for shining a light on what is infuriating me about our elected officials right now. This is still a Government By and For the People and I expect Democrats AND Republicans to stand against this insanity.
I've often wondered why the Germans ignored Hitler's murderous behavior and supported him. Were seeing the same behavior toward Trump's tyrrany by the Silicon Valley Elites, the Wall Street Elites, the Corporate Elites, and millions of average Americans. Doesn't it make you wonder about Humanity?
If you can bear to read it, Maureen, I recommend the book HHhH by Laurent Binet - a historical novel, it is an account of the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich (the mastermind of the Gas chambers) in Prague during World War II. Whilst the characters are fictionalised, the history it reports is very real and accurate. It is a scary eye-opener of how political power and force was brutally used to engender 'loyalty' and take control, even of other countries.
Thanks for the referral. I will search it out and read it. You use the word "whilst" which is used by folks from British Isles in my experience. Do you hail from across the pond?
I am! LOL well spotted Maureen - l can tell someone is from the US when they say 'in a little while'. It's nice to meet a fellow linguistic detective at :o)
Beautifully and articulately said, Mary Trump. You put our angst into the right words and sentences. You feel what I think, most decent people feel...sorrow and pain that it's come to this. Keep on keeping on. It makes us want to just give up, throw up our hands and so, so be it! But no, we can't let them win this easily. Soldiers died for our freedoms and to give up insults their sacrifices.
So let's keep it going and spread the good word. We must not allow Trump to win, but when I say Trump, I mean the entire cadre of those dreadful people who put power over decency, over honesty and over our precious country. We support you and all the others calling this mess out as we should. Peace.
I think you give Donald and the Republicans too much credit. The "executive orders" were cooked months or years ago by the relevant far right "think tanks." Project 2025 just the barest outline. The front stage is the evil clown to announce them and the other evil clowns to vote for them.
Thanks, Mary. You’ve stated things and events that may appear to be obvious, but aren’t. At least consciously, until you become aware and think about them in the abstract as characters from another very different, yet very similar, environment when compared with today. Your insights are very much appropriate and relevant. Keep the faith in our humanity going. I’m hopeful that DJT will find a way to inadvertently tree himself at this point.
Thank you Mary for your truthfulness and I still will never understand someone who doesn’t know what they have unleashed.We need to keep striving to keep the truth alive. Life is very frightening for me I am 67 and my income comes Social Security. So that might be a problem it seems. I have felt like I have been hit in the stomach and can’t get my breath since the news on the election. I have been physically sick with anxiety my nerves are raw. Dump is a terrible excuse of a man.
Agreed. The mere possibility that he could use Article 25 to “retire” Trump in about two years and possibly win two terms for a total of 10 years is utterly frightening. Somehow that possibility must be taken off the table.
Thiel bought Vance as our senator, and I can’t stand either of them. What gives Thiel, Muskrat, Yarvin or these other amoral people the idea they deserve to govern the rest of us?
Possibly, but he lacks Trump's charisma. Forgive me, but he does have something that gets people excited. Negative qualities but real nevertheless. Vance has none of those qualities.
This is my thought as well. I'm not sure the blind obedience that Maga (and many others) show to T would be automatic with Vance who is, however, smarter and more calculating. Still - the wealthy in the camp would likely support him and not sure Trump needs the base anymore.
Hi Mary! I have been following your posts or blogs or whatever you call it for a good while now! How long have you been openly warning us about him?! It is very courageous of you. I just want to tell you THANK YOU!! Thank you for trying to warn Americans about the grave danger. I am so deeply saddened and fearful for our country. I still have trouble believing that after everything we know about DJT, over half of voters decided he was their best choice??! Well, they got what they voted for. I hope and pray we can survive! I am starting a support group in St Louis for women who feel devastated like I do. I think we are calling ourselves W.A.T. Women Against Trump. But we might come up with a better name- ReSisterhood (resister + Sisterhood) maybe you can help us think of a good name? I’m serving specialty drinks- “Im-Peach-Mint” Mules and “Orange Clown” - champagne orange Jell-O shots. Everyone will bring an appetizer with a name that’s fitting. One friend is bringing a cheese ball covered in Cheetos and calling it “Cheeto in Chief” We have to stick together to resist together! Several of my like-minded friends who fought hard to help Harris win are feeling deflated, are checking out, and they don’t even want to come to the happy hour. I’m sure, at times, you are feeling a bit like this too!! But please know, your words matter!! People like me feel inspired by you! So, please keep on keeping’ on. Thank you! Be well!
Far, FAR too many things have become normalized...far, far too quickly. I was girded to expect most of Donald's executive orders and the unraveling of America they will quickly bring...I knew Project 2025 was no joke before the rapid fire DOJ and civil service firings happened. I did not expect overt threats to conquer Greenland, and possibly Canada and Mexico, acts that are 100% Hitlerian, and will be made to seem normal, acceptable ways to "Make America Great Again". All we can do is NOT FOR ONE SECOND accept these things as normal or acceptable, and though the urge to retreat from the horror of current events is understandable, we must never stop speaking about them, and making sure people - especially young people who have never known a nation without Trump in a position of such unfathomable power - never stop hearing about how wrong they are, and why.
Mesila,
you’ve captured the heart of what’s at stake, and I want to expand on what you’ve said.
The threats about Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal, or even parts of Mexico—they’re not just bluster. They’re very real, and we’d be wise to take them seriously. From where I sit in Germany, this mirrors a pattern of history we know all too well.
Trump’s behavior is driven by what we call "Großmannssucht"—a delusional grandeur that feeds on the need to be seen as a savior. It’s the same psychological pattern seen in figures like Hitler or Emperor Wilhelm II, where a bruised ego demands constant validation through power and control.
For DT, everything must be destroyed—not because it’s failing, but because it’s functioning.
President Biden handed over a country in remarkable shape—low unemployment, a recovering economy, and systems working as they should. That’s the problem for someone like Trump. How can he rebuild or "fix" a nation if there’s nothing visibly broken?
For DT's narrative to hold, he has to dismantle everything—tearing down democracy, destabilizing institutions, and leaving chaos in his wake.
This isn’t just about ego; it’s a calculated move.
If The People allow it, he’ll position himself as the one to rebuild what he destroyed, claiming credit for “saving” a nation he actively sabotaged. His actions now are laying the groundwork for that delusion to play out.
The real question isn’t whether he’ll try—because he will.
The question is whether the People will let him.
This is the moment to stand firm, to refuse normalization, and to push back against the idea that destruction can masquerade as leadership. History shows us what happens when figures like Trump are unchecked.
Let’s not allow the past to write the future. Never Again Is NOW!
Donald Trump's stock in trade, so to speak, is that he deliberately breaks something that isn't broken and looks like the hero fixing it. The problem is that he's so fucking stupid and inept that he CAN'T fix it. But those who worship him give him their props for trying and think that he has done them a favor.
His other trick is that he continually and constantly threatens terrible, destructive policies, and when he doesn't put those policies into effect, it elicits a response of gratitude over how kind and generous Dear Leader is to spare his subjects.
It's so obvious to me and to most of us that all of this is a page right out of Hitler's playbook. And certainly, Donnie is too thick and lazy to come up with all of these ideas himself. He has many people behind the scenes pulling his strings and whispering in his ear, and his toxic narcissism is only too glad to listen.
Linda,
I see where you’re coming from, and I view DT’s behavior through a slightly different lens, shaped by 46 years of living under a narcissistic system of oppression.
I’ve never known a narcissist to let anyone tell them what to do or not to do—that’s simply not how they operate. Everything we’re witnessing stems from what he genuinely believes is right and true in any given moment, no matter how detached from reality it may be.
Take the pardons, for example—those decisions weren’t whispered into his ear by advisors. They were entirely his, driven by his own need for loyalty and control. If he decided tomorrow that annexing Canada or threatening Greenland with nuclear force aligned with his vision of power, it would be his choice, and he’d act on it without hesitation.
This isn’t about puppet strings being pulled behind the scenes; it’s about the unchecked actions of someone whose delusional grandeur drives everything they do. His decisions are his own, and only direct, decisive action will prevent him from carrying them out. That’s the stark reality we’re dealing with.
To add to this, one of his supporters told me the other day that the Big Lie that Trump won the 2020 election isn’t actually a lie because Trump believes it to be true. If lies aren’t lies because the liars “believe they are true” and should therefore be taken as the truth by his supporters… I don’t know where we go from here.
I used to think he really believed his lies. But now I know better. He's a master con, but he's not delusional. He knows what the truth is. He just doesn't give a damn.
Heather,
What you described about Trump believing his own lies fits perfectly into the framework of narcissism.
For him, reality isn’t something external or shared; it’s whatever aligns with his self-image in the moment. The truth becomes fluid, molded to protect his sense of superiority and control. And when his followers adopt that same perspective—taking his beliefs as truth—it creates a closed loop that’s nearly impossible to penetrate.
I’ve been reflecting on what you shared, and it reminded me of something I’ve learned from the Arbinger Institute about how we see and engage with others.
When a person, here DT—or his supporters—believes something so strongly that it shapes their reality, it can feel impossible to have a meaningful conversation.
The Arbinger approach offers a different way to look at this.
When people are convinced they’re right, especially in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it’s often because they’re in a mindset of self-justification.
They’ve chosen a narrative that explains their world, and challenging that narrative feels, to them, like a personal attack. In their eyes, anyone who disagrees becomes “the enemy.”
In situations like this, the best response may not be engagement at all. At least for that moment. Walk away. disengage, instead of escalation.
The Arbinger philosophy teaches that when our hearts are at war—when we see others as objects rather than people—any attempt at connection or understanding falls flat.
And if someone sees you as “the enemy,” there’s no space for real dialogue.
Instead of trying to convince or correct, we can choose to live in truth ourselves.
That might mean staying silent when engagement isn’t possible, or focusing on actions that preserve what’s real and just.
It also means recognizing the humanity even in those we disagree with—not to excuse harmful behavior, but to avoid becoming trapped in the same cycles of dehumanization and blame.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is simply refuse to play the game of “us versus them.”
By stepping outside of that dynamic, we create the possibility—not the guarantee, but the possibility—of something better, and for longer lasting change.
This simply isn't true. Trump did not write Project 2025 or any of the Executive Orders he signed.
My focus is pulled towards working within my local community regarding education. Small communities finding and creating coalitions to raise awareness is giving me hope and energy. Understanding the Texas Constitution is a step towards positive change.
Melissa, I really appreciate your clear and succinct description of how a malignant narcissist operates (retired psychoanalyst here). I have been so frustrated for the past 10 years that Trump's severe psychopathology has not been front and centre in how he's been talked/written about. There are a few exceptions (Dr. Brandy Lee comes to mind, and of course our Mary, and the two docs over at Shrinking Trump) but for the most part the pundits are as ignorant as the general populace, especially with regard to Trump's need to destroy anything and everything that is "good." I think part of the root of normalisation in these circumstances is ignorance combined with the anxiety of so much chaos, uncertainty, and fear, which are very real and very understandable reactions -- but we cannot afford to simply let that ride. There is much more that can be said, but I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks for your astute observations.
Carol, I guess here, that you where answering to my comment (Wild Lion*esses Pride by Jay) on Mesila and not directly on Mesila.
Thank you for your thoughtful words and for sharing your perspective as a retired psychoanalyst.
I appreciate the professional affirmation of what I’ve observed and experienced through my own lens, as a survivor of 46 years of living within a narcissistic oppressive system. My journey dismantling that system internally has been long and deeply personal, filled with psychotherapy, psychiatric appointments, systemic coaching, and more books on the topic than I can count.
What stands out to me about DT—and what I think remains so underrated in the U.S.—is exactly what you highlighted: his severe psychopathology and its destructive impact.
It’s not just about poor decision-making or corruption; it’s about a compulsion to dismantle anything that is functional, effective, or thriving. His need to destroy isn’t incidental—it’s central to how he operates.
Your professional background can much better judge the normalization rooted in ignorance and anxiety. I have come to know from analysing and changing my behavior., that when people are overwhelmed by chaos and fear, it’s tempting to look away or dismiss a behavior as “just so.”
But it isn’t.
The chaos is the point.
It feeds the need for control, for validation, for a narrative where he can cast himself as the hero rising from the ashes of his own creation.
I’ve found Mary’s insights invaluable, and I’m grateful for voices like Dr. Brandy Lee and others who have worked to bring this understanding to the forefront. But as you said, the broader conversation often misses the mark.
That’s why voices like yours are so important. Together, we can hold space for the truth and keep pushing it into the light.
Thank you for your reflections and for bringing your expertise to this critical discussion. It matters.
You stated "I’ve never known a narcissist to let anyone tell them what to do or not to do—that’s simply not how they operate. Everything we’re witnessing stems from what he genuinely believes is right and true in any given moment, no matter how detached from reality it may be." This is certainly true of narcissists in general. I can't remember who said this about him, but it was one of the people in his first administration. I believe that it was John Kelly, who was one of his chiefs of staff, who ended up speaking out against him. Whomever it was said something to the effect that Trump will listen to the last person who spoke with him and start spouting what they have said, and taking action on that. Then another person will speak to him and he will shift to their position.
A factor that I don't believe you've mentioned is that Trump clearly has dementia. I'm a psychologist who has conducted assessments of numerous people with severe language and memory problems due to dementia. His symptoms of dementia have been discussed since his first term, but it has only been recently that some in corporate media have started mentioning it. David Pakman regularly has one of the psychiatrists from the Duty To Warn group on his podcast, reviewing videos of Trump's deteriorating functioning. The theory is that he has frontotemporal dementia, possibly due to contracting syphilis during his promiscuous years in the 80s. His forward-leaning posture and stiff walk are consistent with this. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-dementia-evidence-overwhelming-top-psychiatrist-1881247
Kathi, thank you for the additional context and for sharing your expertise as a psychologist. It adds a layer of professional insight that complements the lived experiences many of us bring to this discussion.
As a private German citizen, my engagement in these conversations comes from my own personal journey and context—having lived under an oppressive, narcissistic system within my family for 46 years. While I refrained from directly bringing that into this broader discussion, your observations resonate deeply with me.
I’ve been aware of the discussions around Trump’s mental fitness, and from my perspective, it’s astonishing that, over the last four years, this hasn’t been addressed more forcefully—if only for medical reasons.
Based on what I observe, his behavior clearly points to mental unfitness, and I can’t help but think that in Germany, a personality displaying similar symptoms might be considered a cause for admission to a closed ward in a psychiatric clinic, given the risks his behavior poses to the public.
The fact that this person has access to the nuclear codes is staggering. I find myself wondering what would happen if, in one of his erratic moments—perhaps during a late-night gathering in his "parlor choir"—he decided the Canadians had annoyed him enough and thought it was time to "teach them a lesson."
With him such a scenario doesn’t seem entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Your mention of frontotemporal dementia adds yet another dimension to this already complex and dangerous situation.
If his deteriorating condition is as evident as you describe, the risk becomes not just theoretical, yet is immediate and tangible.
Thank you for pointing out the works of Dr. Bandy X. Lee and Steven Hassan.
It’s clear we need more conversations like these, grounded in expertise and shared openly, to navigate the challenges this situation presents.
Your voice and professional perspective are crucial. I deeply appreciate you engaging with and bringing your perspective into the discussion.
It matters greatly, especially at a time when so much is at stake.
Her name is Bandy X. Lee, not Brandy Lee. She and several other mental health professionals wrote the essays that make up the book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President - Updated and Expanded with New Essays, by Bandy X. Lee , Jeffrey Sachs, et al. | Mar 19, 2019. It was originally released in 2017, and several of the authors testified to members of Congress in a closed session, as I recall, to express their concerns. I'm a psychologist, and have read this book and numerous others on the subject. I highly recommend The Cult of Trump: A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control by Steven Hassan | Sep 1, 2020.
Munchausen by proxy
Wild Lion*esses, thank you for your perspective from Germany; it's really helpful. We must stand firm against Trump, as the Inspectors General are doing now.
You are very welcome. I am currently in the process of editing and cutting a walkthrough the former concentration camp Buchenwald with a specific eye on the current situation in the US and hopefully I'll get it finished during February. I would be very glad for people amplifying my efforts to show what is along the horizon if this goes unchecked.
Wild Lion, you are right about the normalization. Our media participated in this whole-heartedly for over a decade letting people think Donald Trump, a failed businessman, a cheat, a liar, an accused sex-offender was someone who was normal and could be a leader for America. They thought it a joke at first, but people, gullible people, believed them, and the money poured in from the oligarchs to make Trump happen. Now, our job is going to have to be to unnormalize Trump for several reasons: he is an insurrectionist, a serial liar, a threat to our national and group safety, a threat to our planet, and he has dementia which means he can't remember what he is trying to do unless he is reminded. His speech has no affect as he reads what he is given. He can remember a few of his lines and he still knows who he hates and wants to destroy, but there are no details. The rest of the toddlers in the Trump playground are controlling things and it is time our courts and states stand up and stop the steal. I don't know what happened in this past election, but something did. Isn't it interesting that all the "swing states" just happened to go for Trump? I am hoping someone actually looks into this so we can see what was done either through our mail or with our voting machines to figure it out. I know a lot of people decided a supposedly rich, white, male, fool, Trump was better than a caring decent human being who was also a woman of color, but something else was going on too.
Ruth,
Your words resonate deeply, and I want to offer another perspective from where I stand.
While it’s essential to expose the failures, manipulations, and crimes that have led us here—and to take decisive action to end this crisis and presidency, including, if necessary, the use of military support—I also believe there’s a danger in demonizing those responsible.
Reducing individuals or groups to caricatures of evil traps us in what’s often called "horribilizing."
This Old Testament mindset—an eye for an eye—doesn’t resolve conflict; it prolongs it. History shows us that dehumanizing the other side only deepens divisions, making reconciliation and true progress impossible.
I want to invite us to take a step back and recognize that, despite everything, these individuals remain human beings.
Their actions must be addressed through the rule of law, not vengeance. That’s why the Nuremberg Trials, or the trials in South Africa were significant—they held people accountable within a framework of justice, not retribution.
As the Arbinger Institute observes, "When our hearts are at war, we tend to exaggerate others’ faults." We focus on extremes, magnifying differences until we lose sight of our shared humanity. This doesn’t excuse wrongdoing—it emphasizes the importance of remaining grounded in our collective humanity, even as we seek accountability.
On a broader scale, this tendency to exaggerate differences fuels many conflicts—whether rooted in race, gender, religion, or class.
The more we focus on those divisions, from both sides of the fence, the easier it becomes to justify mistreatment. Yet, by acknowledging common ground, we can begin to dismantle the systems that rely on division and perpetuate harm.
I understand your perspective, Ruth, and it aligns with so much of what we’re all trying to navigate.
Accountability is non-negotiable, and pairing it with the courage to recognize shared humanity is the key to breaking cycles of conflict and oppression.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts so thoughtfully—this is the kind of conversation we need to keep having.
Wild Lion, I reread what I wrote and find nowhere that I even implied that those who voted for and support Trump are not fully human, misguided, but definitely human beings. I do hold at least partially responsible for what is going on those who are supporting and holding up Trump for quite some time. Trump's dementia is becoming more serious and it will not be long before he can't remember what he is doing. I am sure there are guys in power who are just waiting for that to push through even more outrageous moves against our nation and the world in Trump's name, but in the meantime, we all need to be conscious of what is going on and stand against it at every opportunity while also working in our communities to protect our neighbors, even those who voted so poorly.
Ruth, I deeply value the way you emphasize standing against harm and working within communities to protect neighbors, even those who voted differently.
That approach reflects humanity and kindness, which are so crucial right now. Recognizing everyone as a person, regardless of their choices, is a perspective I share wholeheartedly.
At the same time, I think it’s important to reflect on the language we use when discussing these topics.
Objectifying language, like "sure there are guys in power," lumps individuals into vague, faceless groups. While it might express frustration, it oversimplifies a complex issue and creates an “us vs. them” mentality that deepens divisions. Language like this shifts the focus from actions and systems—which must be addressed—toward reducing individuals to stereotypes. This can unintentionally feed into the dynamics we’re trying to dismantle.
For example, while I fully agree that Trump and his enablers must be removed from power, this goes far beyond the individuals involved. The issue is systemic. The American system has long been structured to protect the interests of the few, prioritizing wealth and influence over justice and humanity. In my view, the entire system needs modernization and reform, and those who have supported this regime should have no role in shaping that future.
We’ve seen how the erosion of democratic safeguards has allowed this regime to thrive.
Vulnerable Americans have been scapegoated, targeted, and dehumanized by a system designed to prioritize the powerful. Addressing this isn’t just about accountability—it’s about transformation at every level, ensuring the systems that sustain inequality are dismantled and replaced with structures that protect and empower all people.
Your point about reconnecting with neighbors, co-workers, and those we may have disengaged with over political differences is essential.
This is the time to find shared humanity and rebuild trust within communities. Yo are all in this together, and the solutions must come from working together, not against one another. The alternative—division, civil unrest, or further polarization—isn’t a viable path forward.
That said, this unity needs to come with accountability at the political level. Too many politicians have actively worked against the Constitution they vowed to uphold. Their actions demand consequences—not out of vengeance, but to uphold the principles of justice and ensure such betrayals are not repeated.
Thank you for fostering this conversation.
Your insights are deeply important, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to engage with them.
Wild Lion, I can see your concern, but it is rich white men in power who are doing the harm to the people of this nation with a little bit of help from a few white women and even fewer men of color, often young men of all groups who like the bullying of the Trump crew. Look at the lack of diversity. There is a white woman for UN Rep., a person who has proclaimed herself in numerous ways as not a fan of diversity while claiming she is not racist. Then, there's Tulsi Gabbard, a woman whose connections with foreign autocrats is very concerning. Rammaswammy's only claim to anything is that he is rich, but he is therefore, a great token as a man of South Asian descent. Pretty much the rest are rich white men and together, they are doing a lot of damage to women, people of color in general, and immigrants in particular. Then there is their set of attacks on trans persons. They probably know none or wouldn't know them if they were in the same room. It does not matter because they are only using them as a cause to wrap around "gullible" people. I use the word "gullible" deliberately because these are people who have chosen to either get caught up in the Trump cult or to live on the internet with no desire to fact-check or even slightly question the outrageous things those rich white men and their surrogates post or repost. They revel in mis and disinformation and gleefully pass it on. They are human beings who have decided that the pain of others is not theirs and so they must somehow deserve it, and whatever is done to them is OK. Germans know this well, having experienced it. We did experience this in the 1890s and a bit before and after, here in the US. It took a bunch of disgusted people to change things. Now white men are scared that the rest of us will know or at least make public what we have all known for a long time, white men are no better than anyone else, just more privileged, pampered, and given enormous deference. What is remarkable to me is that the vast majority of white men have not succumbed to the "superiority cult," to which Trump's cult is a subset. Most of the white men I have known have been beautiful people. (Maybe other types of men notice that I have been a feminist nearly since birth and won't associate with me if they think they are better than I am.) Some men are, of course as I am not a scientist, builder, business person, but most are equal with me or less skilled in the areas where I excel. I taught in public schools for 26 years and have in some way or other been a teacher all my life. Men involved in teaching often are more humble than other men. We who care need to stand up and say "no more. We will not permit you to do harm to our fellow human beings!" I hope those words and the actions tied to them will become a tsunami soon.
Vel, thank you. Here is the response I gave to Wild Lion.
Wild Lion, I can see your concern, but it is rich white men in power who are doing the harm to the people of this nation with a little bit of help from a few white women and even fewer men of color, often young men of all groups who like the bullying of the Trump crew. Look at the lack of diversity. There is a white woman for UN Rep., a person who has proclaimed herself in numerous ways as not a fan of diversity while claiming she is not racist. Then, there's Tulsi Gabbard, a woman whose connections with foreign autocrats is very concerning. Rammaswammy's only claim to anything is that he is rich, but he is therefore, a great token as a man of South Asian descent. Pretty much the rest are rich white men and together, they are doing a lot of damage to women, people of color in general, and immigrants in particular. Then there is their set of attacks on trans persons. They probably know none or wouldn't know them if they were in the same room. It does not matter because they are only using them as a cause to wrap around "gullible" people. I use the word "gullible" deliberately because these are people who have chosen to either get caught up in the Trump cult or to live on the internet with no desire to fact-check or even slightly question the outrageous things those rich white men and their surrogates post or repost. They revel in mis and disinformation and gleefully pass it on. They are human beings who have decided that the pain of others is not theirs and so they must somehow deserve it, and whatever is done to them is OK. Germans know this well, having experienced it. We did experience this in the 1890s and a bit before and after, here in the US. It took a bunch of disgusted people to change things. Now white men are scared that the rest of us will know or at least make public what we have all known for a long time, white men are no better than anyone else, just more privileged, pampered, and given enormous deference. What is remarkable to me is that the vast majority of white men have not succumbed to the "superiority cult," to which Trump's cult is a subset. Most of the white men I have known have been beautiful people. (Maybe other types of men notice that I have been a feminist nearly since birth and won't associate with me if they think they are better than I am.) Some men are, of course as I am not a scientist, builder, business person, but most are equal with me or less skilled in the areas where I excel. I taught in public schools for 26 years and have in some way or other been a teacher all my life. Men involved in teaching often are more humble than other men. We who care need to stand up and say "no more. We will not permit you to do harm to our fellow human beings!" I hope those words and the actions that follow from them will become a tsunami soon.
I don't know exactly how, but I think his Nazi Partner did something fishy when he had that contest to win a million dollars. Any thoughts on that, or has it been disproved? (Sorry for being off topic.)
That's one of the best analysis of Trump's destruction plans I have read. Thanks. For people to need a Savior, he creates the disaster first so they need rescuing. I've been viewing it as a abusive Narcissistic Family relationship dynamic. The abuser attacks neighbors, friends and other family members to isolate his victims so they have no one to turn towards when he increases the abuse. That's how I am viewing the Mexico/Canada/Greenland/Panama threats. They are all the places Americans would flee to when things get bad here.
Moon Cat,
Thank you for your comment—it’s an insightful way to frame the dynamic, and I appreciate how you’ve connected the dots to an abusive family system. Your point about isolating victims to tighten control is one I hadn’t directly applied to Trump’s geopolitical moves, but it fits eerily well.
The threats toward Canada, Greenland, Panama, and even Mexico come from another layer as well, one rooted in a distinctly Germanic streak I recognize from history and cultural patterns. Here in Germany, we call it Großmannssucht—a kind of delusional grandeur paired with ostentation and a need to prove one’s greatness through domination. It’s not just about control; it’s about rewriting the narrative to position oneself as a towering figure of salvation.
Historically, we’ve seen this with leaders like Wilhelm II, Hitler, and even further back with Charlemagne—figures driven by a blend of swagger, ostentation, and a compulsion to carve out their place as “saviors” of their people. This influence seems to resonate in Trump’s actions, where the need to destroy functioning systems isn’t just about breaking; it’s about setting the stage for a grand rescue, a fabricated heroism.
When I consider his moves against potential refuge points for Americans—those threats toward neighboring nations—I see both isolation tactics and the echoes of this Großmannssucht. It’s a chilling mix of personal pathology and cultural echoes that leads to precisely the kind of destructive leadership you’ve described.
Thank you for bringing this perspective into the conversation. It’s an important lens to understand what’s unfolding.
This is so good. How do you feel about my sharing it?
What do you mean exactly? We could collaborate...
Well, I was gonna post it on Facebook with your attribution if you want or a non-if you didn’t and share it with colleagues. And I totally understand if you don’t want me to do that I just thought it was very powerful.
Thank you so much for finding it powerful, Janie! I am no longer on FB. I’d be honored if you’d like to share it, and I appreciate you asking first. Attribution as https://wildlionessespride.substack.com/ with this link https://www.marytrump.org/p/there-is-no-worst/comment/88732616 would be wonderful—it helps others connect with the original source. If you decide to share, feel free to let me know how it resonates with your colleagues. I’d love to hear their thoughts too! 🌟
tRump is a narcissistic weiner who craves to enrich himself and be on the center stage.
R. Raygun was the same.
Be frightened by those behind the scenes, enabled by the duopoly.
I understand your points and while I agree, I cannot see where we, the people, can make any changes or even stop the lunacy so long as the congress continues to allow it. Perhaps I do not understand the various governmental functions and what they are allowed to do, but from what I have seen to-date, DT dismantles the selected Office first, then forbids anyone to perform the function that used to be part of it. It's almost as though he entices and wants the people to react with violence, to test the limits, just to see what he can get away with. It's like poking a sleeping bear, to waken it and see how you can enrage it and laugh as the bear rattles the cage. I am willing to learn and help in whatever way I can!
Agree 100%. A friend is conducting Resilience Training on Zoom, (if interested can get you the info.) I was struck by a simple statement he made to the effect that in this political environment, the smallest act of kindness can be considered a political act of resistance to Trump's tyrrany.
Vaclav Havel wrote about the power of Hope as resistance to the evil of tyrrany.
Yes, for me the resistance takes the form of love. It’s critical that we do not succumb to feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. (Don’t get me wrong, there will be days when it’s tough to get a leg up to climb out of the pit of despair.) Putting one foot in front of the other, moving with the intention of loving and healing.
I survived a childhood with a violent, incestuous alcoholic father, where every night at the dinner table he spewed an assortment of slurs - racial, homophobic, etc. My mother accepted the behavior from “the man of the house.” Many, many years later I feel like I’m a frightened little kid at that table again.
Thank you for being you, Mary!
Lorraine - Stay with this community, who sees you and gets you. As a good friend said to me in a moment of my despair decades ago - see how it has stayed with me - "You are not that little kid anymore!" Healing is built in; let it be! Blessings - Katie D
My Father was also a alcoholic and issued raving monologues nightly. I started searching for healing and couldn't find a group that exhibited resolution as they seemed to be reliving past agony without results. I found the trauma was held in my body's memories and that was the level they needed to be released at. I used the original form of Rolfing. Rebirthing, Holotropic Breathing, allowing flashbacks and then intentionally remembering them and rewriting the endings seem to release the body by giving it a choice instead of being locked into a rigid past memory. Wishing you further progress and healing.
I freed myself from that oppression just recently and I have already written several essay's to that regards. Yet for the time being What You Still Can Do When They Take All the Power?! might be an interesting read https://open.substack.com/pub/wildlionessespride/p/what-you-still-can-do-when-they-take?r=1sss7q&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
I am an abusive childhood survivor as well. I also live with an extremely narcissistic mother (DT and she are almost carbon copies in their behavior). I just recently liberated myself from this oppression (I was indeed re-traumatized by DTs election) and have written a piece that might give you some leverage and understanding for what is currently happening in the US from both the oppressive side as well as the authoritarian side: https://open.substack.com/pub/wildlionessespride/p/what-you-still-can-do-when-they-take?r=1sss7q&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Absolutely, Maureen. I am very interested on finding out about that Resilience Training. Please post the information when you can!
Just posted it but here it is Peggy. http://www.michaelkearneymd.com/post/deep-resilience.
See you then via Zoom!
😀
Thanks, Maureen, I appreciate you!
I am very interested in that training as well Thank you
Great. Here is website: https://www.michaelkearneymd.com/post/deep-resilience.
🙏
How do we sign up?
https://www.michaelkearneymd.com/post/deep-resilience.😀
YES!
https://www michaelkearneymd.com/post/deep-resilience.😀
You'll appreciate this
It's art in Naples, Italy that Helen brought us
https://bsky.app/profile/helenkennedy.bsky.social/post/3lgm575qrjc2z
I'm such a huge fan of The Good in Us, I think it's so brave of you to speak out. You and Jeff Tiedrich inspired me to start my own newsletter, a parallel universe where Harris won and Trump ...doesn't. Ever. At anything. Which is a weird thing to recommend to one of his family members, but these are the times we live in. Keep resisting!
"Former President Trump Loses Pinky Toe; Remaining Shreds of Sanity"
https://substack.com/home/post/p-155585838
What about a universe where Trump has all POSITIVE TRAITS & is legitimately liked / loved instead of FEARED & DESPISED ?
I still remember news of him attending George HW Bush's funeral & being disappointed at the frosty reception he received.
Sounds more like the a science fiction piece considering what we already know about the man.
Let’s not normalize calling him President elect. Felon-elect works for me, or just Donald Trump. I'm not saying/typing “President” (when referring to Trump) until noon on January 20, 2029. Then he’ll just be the former convicted felon.
In fact, I will be wearing this "A convicted felon will NEVER be my president" shirt the next four years 👇
libtees-2.creator-spring.com/listing/cfelon
We now have a criminal government against innocent people here in the USA!
We need to start a " Browncoat " party, & our motto needs to be " I AIM TO MISBEHAVE ", Nathan Fillion / Mal Reynolds approved.
I have used the obvious description, which is Liar-In-Chief, but to describe him in a more apropos way would be the "Felonious Prevaricator."
Split the difference…potASS.
I AIM TO MISBEHAVE. - Mal Reynolds.
There was a saying from my youth, " if they had brains they would be dangerous ". Trump has no brains & leaving him & his cronies in power is like leaving Neanderthals in charge of a missile silo.
His problem too is that he has to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral.
I’m really looking forward to it being the latter!
I'm looking forward to the day of his funeral. I'm looking forward to the day when those he marginalized and persecuted celebrate his death too.
I'm of the opinion that he won't die, he'll simply become a pool of slime again, like a symbiote or parasite.
He will never die. He’s the Antichrist
The only comparison that could be made to TR that I can imagine.
Mary, help us remember every day that Trump is a convicted felon and adjudicated man guilty of sexual assault.
& a man who thinks NOTHING of separating immigrant families OR robbing a children's CANCER CHARITY.
Trump is already deporting people under pretext they're felons. I keep thinking about the destruction to the families this is causing. Wondering how we can help people in danger in our communities. Any ideas?
I'm replying to my post but wanted to share what I just heard about undocumented people who have been in America a long time, some of them senior citizens, who are afraid to go out of the house for fear of being taken away by ICE. They are not keeping medical appointments and the younger ones are not picking up their children from school for the same reasons. The children are traumatized because their parents may be taken away so even though this is a Sanctuary State people are endangered and frightened.
Suggested ways to help: check to find out if there are housebound people in need of medical attention in your area. There is a group of doctors, nurses and dentists here in Santa Barbara who volunteer time to provide care for the homeless. Perhaps individual doctors and nurses could be contacted in your community to give emergency care for housebound undocumented.
Also, a GoFundMe could be set up to provide for emergency needs.
Finally, it would be such a great thing if therapists could volunteer their services to help children deal with the trauma they're experiencing.
You all out there have your own ways to help. I'd love to hear from you.
Ordinarily I might suggest a type of SANCTUARY, BUT unfortunately these beast - people would probably ignore them, then set fire to them or something equally HORRIBLE because many Trumpists act like monsters.
They are monsters. Anyone who does the mob bosses bidding is a monster.
NO ARGUMENT HERE. If there's a Hell, they're likely going there. Or at least get afflicted by some kind of plague. NO FORGIVENESS.
He, his family and his henchman do a pretty good job of that. A constant barrage of cruelty and insanity.
It is an offense against Americans to make us small. Read the poems of Whitman and stories of Emerson and Melville and Thoreau. Americans are, at our core, EXUBERANT! Dreamers! Inventors and innovators! The true vision of America is to challenge and grow EVERY CITIZEN to flourish.
Those who want to make us little, invisible, scurrying things, fearful of bullies, beholden to small persons with big egos - we are Americans! We laugh at punks and thrash bullies.
We will thrive anew after a bitter frost. We always DO!
Great post. Thanks.
I love your comments here! We are a great people and they are trying to lessen us. A gross miscalculation. We wont be LESS! If anything, we are going to end up being EVEN MORE before this bullshit is over.
Australia here - I know from my own personal experience (difficult divorce from a narcissistic gambling addict) that one doesn't know ones own strength until facing a particularly horrendous event in life. So yes, you will be 'EVEN MORE before this bullshit is over'. Best wishes to you all. 🙋♀️🇦🇺
Thank you, Karen! I think the strength and confidence that can be derived from adversity is going to be monumental here. I’ve been feeling it come up in me just over the last few days. Kind of exhilarating, really.
Republicans have discovered 👉'the easiest way to unravel democracy, you turn democracy against the constitution, by claiming that an election gave the winner a mandate to suspend or ignore laws," he argues. 👉"In reality, Americans gave Trump no such mandate. Multiple polls have found that they oppose pardons for people convicted of violent crimes on January 6th."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-have-discovered-the-easiest-way-to-unravel-democracy-analysis/ar-AA1xNMlE#:~:text=271.7K%C2%A0Followers%20Republicans,2%20min%20read
The SCOTUS majority is giving him powers of a dictator based upon the Federalist Society’s dubious idea of the unitary executive. It violates the separation of powers in the Constitution, and the Founders’ belief that the President was not above the law, but subject to it.
Indeed, and the Supreme Court, has made Trump, their party's dear leader above the law, they have in essence proclaimed that Trump while President, anything? he does is just part of him doing his job? what job is that precisely?🤔 is so that he can be as cruel as he wants, hurt people, hurt the most vulnerable, being a tyrant, attack immigrants, launch U.S military or even a secret police on own U.S citizens, who have the rights to free speech, to peacefully assemble via peaceful protests, when they see wrongs being committed or rights being taken away by his administration, or his destroying the natural world via his cronies to gut environmental laws so his pals, the worlds polluters can pollute with impunity, hence also impacting our health and survivability of the world's climate this and more, this all part of Trump doing his job? Yes', siree is it, it's just Trump, doing his hit job on U.S democracy, it's all ok is it, with his pals on Trumps Supreme Court
Scary😟
I know, all decent Americans need not nor should not fall into despair or give up, that’s what they want, we must fight back every which way we can and not give up, for all our freedoms and rights are on the line
Thank you, Mary 💙.
While listening to the song, "Everybody Gotta Know", you listed at the bottom of your in-depth column, your paragraph stuck with me.
"And that’s how the accommodation starts. We grow up with the unacceptable and the unbearable and accommodation becomes a tool we use to make our lives easier. Accommodating the unacceptable and the unbearable is more often than not easier than doing the right thing—and then it becomes habitual. Eventually, we use it to let ourselves off the hook, because that’s easier, too."
Thank you for speaking truth to power - for all of your courageous honesty about Donald Trump, his enablers, and the enormous risk they are to our democracy, our environment, and the stability of the entire world.
I've read all three of your books - all brilliant - and especially appreciated Too Much and Never Enough. You clearly describe DT's narcissism, total lack of empathy, boundless greed, racism, misogyny, cruelty, and absolute lack of any moral compass - in addition to his lack of mental or emotional stability, his resistance to learning, his fascination with conspiracy theories, his paranoia, his ADD and poor impulse control, his personal cowardice and love of bullying others.
Like you, I am a clinical psychologist - and I'm stunned that so many people (who are smart and should know better) have refused to see DT's many, many toxic personal traits, and don't seem to understand that appeasing or supporting an amoral bully will only encourage him.
I'm stunned that the conservative members of the Supreme Court have abandoned all of their supposed moral principles (if they ever truly believed them) and given DT carte blanche for any criminal behavior he chooses to indulge in. So much for the "rule of law", the "party of law and order", and the "true patriots of America". All total lies. The hypocrisy of DT's enablers is mind- boggling.
Even if DT's enablers refuse to look at his psychopathology, a quick review of history - particularly Hitler's disastrous rise to power - would reveal that Trump is an enormous, existential threat to democracy, freedom, and our entire planet.
Since so many of DT's enablers and supporters are too weak, cowardly, or corrupt to resist his malign influence, it's more important than ever for "the resistance" to stand up to him. I know that many of us are exhausted from resisting for the last 8 years; but we cannot give up. GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION!! As you, Sherrilyn Ifill, and others have said, we must protect our own mental health and joy in life; at the same time, we must resist DT and his damaging policies, in whatever ways we can. Personally, I'm joining and supporting groups like the ACLU, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the Climate Reality Project, and encouraging friends and family to do the same.
Thank you for quoting the brilliant Maya Angelou, who understood protecting your personal joy, while courageously speaking truth to power. Wishing you all the best in your mission!
I wish I could give 100 Likes to your comment, Anne. I have also read Mary's 3 books and was so positively impacted by her clarity. I grew up, unfortunately, in a similarly dysfunctional family who pretended everything was fine, just, moral and right - while the oldest male child raped me (his 9 year old sister) when he was 14. At age 19, the happy-go-lucky middle son committed suicide. And yes, everything was fine, just, moral and right.
At age 30, I ceased all contact to any living members of my deranged family. That was 32 years ago. As a female growing up in that chaos of racism, misogyny, greed, lack of empathy, cruelty, beatings, and a complete lack of morals, I had to accommodate to stay alive. I often questioned my own sanity.
Now with this horrific "father figure" back in the White House, I mostly feel like I'm back in that dreaded family house, subject to all the evil that went on there without the comfort of knowing that one day I'll grow up and move far, far away.
I am sorry 😢 for your past pain and its' re-dredging now for you and for all of us
100% accurate. What we are seeing is just how Hitler came to power. Any astute student of history should recognize it. Trumps cabinet appointments are, for lack of a better term, absolutely insane. However, they are perfect for what he wants. loyalists that will, without question, implement his demands. Trump, and his toadies have taken over the federal government at every level. The Dem leadership is way past it’s prime, and appear weak. They need a younger generation of talented leaders in key positions that will fight this onslaught at every turn without compromising. For the life of me, I don’t think they realize who they’re dealing with. 😎
I’m not a psychologist, but a layperson to psychology, and his destructive personality disorders are just so evident if you care to look at his behavior.
Ok anyone that listens to Joan Armatrading is of sound mind and spirit. Thank you for your vigilance.
Is this your uncle’s mission in life? Cast everyone into fear? Congress is afraid. The civil service is afraid. The citizens of the US are afraid. And now the bullying has moved north of parallel 49. We in Canada are furious, but also afraid. And I am sure that many more in the greater western world have the same feeling. This above all IS NOT FREEDOM!
Agree Annie! Trump is infuriatingly and frightening. That pompous bully is wreaking havoc everywhere. Canadians are now focused on coping with that monster stirring intense anti-American feelings. Social media is full of ways to avoid buying anything made in the usa etc… a small gesture in the face of a trade war but helps to make people feel like they have some control I guess… I hope our leaders can unify and protect us -or at least mitigate damage- from the looming disaster.
Ironic that when trump won we felt “at least we’re not American… we’re safe here in Canada” oops!
I am sorry this is happening to you in Canada. If there was ever a war to come because of him, I would side with you, or any resistance. And I will fight for my family to not have to live in this current state of fascism. I also am afraid, I am a senior citizen who may lose everything, but maybe instead of my fear, I am more angry at my fellow Americans that thought putting him back in unlimited power was a good idea. Despicable.
The 'Bacala' ( my Italian slang term of endearment for him) is not a very good negotiator after all. Proposing 25% tarriff on goods from Canada & Mexico proves Mr. stable genius did not make the best deal last time under USMCA (NAFTA). Which IMO was OK as is but for him there is always a 'solution in search of a problem'. It's all smoke & mirrors. His insults to the 'The Great White North' is infuriating. I for one will try my best to avoid contributing to the US economy
from vacations or family visits to the states - especially the MAGA states.
Yes. The fearful are easy to control.
Thank you for shining a light on what is infuriating me about our elected officials right now. This is still a Government By and For the People and I expect Democrats AND Republicans to stand against this insanity.
I've often wondered why the Germans ignored Hitler's murderous behavior and supported him. Were seeing the same behavior toward Trump's tyrrany by the Silicon Valley Elites, the Wall Street Elites, the Corporate Elites, and millions of average Americans. Doesn't it make you wonder about Humanity?
If you can bear to read it, Maureen, I recommend the book HHhH by Laurent Binet - a historical novel, it is an account of the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich (the mastermind of the Gas chambers) in Prague during World War II. Whilst the characters are fictionalised, the history it reports is very real and accurate. It is a scary eye-opener of how political power and force was brutally used to engender 'loyalty' and take control, even of other countries.
https://www.joyvspicer.com/joy-blog/2020/11/16/book-review-hhhh-by-laurent-binet
It’s interesting how Hitler learned from America in 1930s and we’re learning from Hitler in 2025.
Thanks for the referral. I will search it out and read it. You use the word "whilst" which is used by folks from British Isles in my experience. Do you hail from across the pond?
I am! LOL well spotted Maureen - l can tell someone is from the US when they say 'in a little while'. It's nice to meet a fellow linguistic detective at :o)
Glad to meet you! Never hear "whilst" from an American. Will look for your posts from now on!
Yes, it does. It seems that humanity's defining characteristic is its inhumanity toward humanity.
Beautifully and articulately said, Mary Trump. You put our angst into the right words and sentences. You feel what I think, most decent people feel...sorrow and pain that it's come to this. Keep on keeping on. It makes us want to just give up, throw up our hands and so, so be it! But no, we can't let them win this easily. Soldiers died for our freedoms and to give up insults their sacrifices.
So let's keep it going and spread the good word. We must not allow Trump to win, but when I say Trump, I mean the entire cadre of those dreadful people who put power over decency, over honesty and over our precious country. We support you and all the others calling this mess out as we should. Peace.
So well written.. and so true. Plan to reread it often. Thanks.
Beautiful Mary. If we accommodate hate, we betray the light in ourselves.
I think you give Donald and the Republicans too much credit. The "executive orders" were cooked months or years ago by the relevant far right "think tanks." Project 2025 just the barest outline. The front stage is the evil clown to announce them and the other evil clowns to vote for them.
The Federalist Society.
Thanks, Mary. You’ve stated things and events that may appear to be obvious, but aren’t. At least consciously, until you become aware and think about them in the abstract as characters from another very different, yet very similar, environment when compared with today. Your insights are very much appropriate and relevant. Keep the faith in our humanity going. I’m hopeful that DJT will find a way to inadvertently tree himself at this point.
Thank you Mary for your truthfulness and I still will never understand someone who doesn’t know what they have unleashed.We need to keep striving to keep the truth alive. Life is very frightening for me I am 67 and my income comes Social Security. So that might be a problem it seems. I have felt like I have been hit in the stomach and can’t get my breath since the news on the election. I have been physically sick with anxiety my nerves are raw. Dump is a terrible excuse of a man.
But keep in mind that JaD Vance could/would be much worse.
Agreed. The mere possibility that he could use Article 25 to “retire” Trump in about two years and possibly win two terms for a total of 10 years is utterly frightening. Somehow that possibility must be taken off the table.
Thiel bought Vance as our senator, and I can’t stand either of them. What gives Thiel, Muskrat, Yarvin or these other amoral people the idea they deserve to govern the rest of us?
Possibly, but he lacks Trump's charisma. Forgive me, but he does have something that gets people excited. Negative qualities but real nevertheless. Vance has none of those qualities.
This is my thought as well. I'm not sure the blind obedience that Maga (and many others) show to T would be automatic with Vance who is, however, smarter and more calculating. Still - the wealthy in the camp would likely support him and not sure Trump needs the base anymore.
Hi Mary! I have been following your posts or blogs or whatever you call it for a good while now! How long have you been openly warning us about him?! It is very courageous of you. I just want to tell you THANK YOU!! Thank you for trying to warn Americans about the grave danger. I am so deeply saddened and fearful for our country. I still have trouble believing that after everything we know about DJT, over half of voters decided he was their best choice??! Well, they got what they voted for. I hope and pray we can survive! I am starting a support group in St Louis for women who feel devastated like I do. I think we are calling ourselves W.A.T. Women Against Trump. But we might come up with a better name- ReSisterhood (resister + Sisterhood) maybe you can help us think of a good name? I’m serving specialty drinks- “Im-Peach-Mint” Mules and “Orange Clown” - champagne orange Jell-O shots. Everyone will bring an appetizer with a name that’s fitting. One friend is bringing a cheese ball covered in Cheetos and calling it “Cheeto in Chief” We have to stick together to resist together! Several of my like-minded friends who fought hard to help Harris win are feeling deflated, are checking out, and they don’t even want to come to the happy hour. I’m sure, at times, you are feeling a bit like this too!! But please know, your words matter!! People like me feel inspired by you! So, please keep on keeping’ on. Thank you! Be well!
Kathleen Cameron
St Louis, MO
Terrific! 🙏🙏
Go Blue Missouri & Resisterhood!
Great words Mary.. so uplifting and giving us all the reason to keep fighting💪🏼