Can anyone answer this one for me?
It seems clear that Donald Trump’s strategy in criticizing Jeff Sessions is to get him to quit as AG so that Trump can appoint someone else as AG who will agree to fire Robert Mueller. I get that. It seems to be obstruction of justice, but Trump is now desperate because Mueller reportedly has enough dirt on him to bury him.
But what I can’t figure out is why Trump has chosen to repeatedly attack Sessions for having recused himself from the Russia investigation. That just seems to have created more evidence that Trump has been trying to obstruct the investigation.
Wouldn’t it have been safer for Trump to criticize Sessions for the very reason Sessions did recuse himself — for having held undisclosed meetings with Russian contacts and lying to Vice President Pence about that? Trump could have attacked Sessions for all that and even used it as an excuse to fire Sessions, and no one could have then easily criticized Trump for doing that.
Attacking Sessions for having met with the Russians would also serve to insulate Trump somewhat from the collusion charge. He could say that while Sessions and Manafort and even his son were meeting with Russians during the campaign, not only did he (Trump) not know anything about that, it would be wrong to have done that.
Instead, Trump has continued to attack Sessions, not for meeting with the Russians, but for having indirectly acknowledged that those undisclosed meetings were wrong. Trump has been extremely clear in saying that he wants Sessions to protect him from Mueller’s investigation.
I used to waiver between thinking Trump was either incredibly stupid or that he was really an evil genius who was three steps ahead of everyone else. Now, I’m inclined to think the former. or am I missing something?
Donnie Two Scoops violation of his Oath of Office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the US, will, I believe, be his undoing in the end. That was incredibly stupid.
Reportedly, Trump has “one of the highest IQs of any US President”. Mind you, many presidents were elected before the whole IQ thing was invented. I don’t have actual data, but am sure someone who reads this comment, will. That all being said, a high IQ is no guarantee of good impulse control, productivity, discernment, self-knowledge, high morals, executive function or an advanced state of moral development. Trump seems to have quite a grasp of social media usage, and little interest in morality. There is a difference between stupidity and narcissism, as well, though these too qualities can lead to similar behaviors. I am going with narcissistic personality disorder, see:
People with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personality Disorder share many similar characteristics. They often exhibit a distorted sense of self, struggle with anger issues, and vacillate between idealizing others and devaluing them.
Similarities in people diagnosed with BPD or NPD also include the following:
A lack of concern for how their behavior impacts others
A tendency to believe the world revolves around them
A fear of abandonment
A need for constant attention
A constant struggle with work, family, and social relationships
Displaying overly emotional, erratic, or self-dramatizing behaviors
Both BPD and NPD occur in about 1 to 2 percent of the population, according to NAMI.
Differences between BPD and NPD
Despite their many similarities, because Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder are two different psychiatric disorders, they also have a number of differences.
For example, people with BPD tend to be highly impulsive and may engage in such compulsive behaviors as excessive spending, binge eating, and risky sexual behavior. People with BPD are also more likely to engage in self-harming behaviors, such as cutting or suicide attempts.
People with NPD, on the other hand, have an inflated sense of self-importance and may take advantage of others to get their needs met.
Here are some other differences between Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
People with NPD think they are “special” and that they can only be understood by other special or high-status people, while people with BPD feel misunderstood and mistreated
More men tend to be narcissists, while women tend to be diagnosed more often with BPD
People with NPD expect others’ lives to revolve around them, while those with BPD will devote their lives to another person
People with BPD will frantically try to avoid what they consider to be abandonment, while narcissists are more likely to do the abandoning
Personality Disorder Treatment
Treatment for both Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder revolves around psychotherapy, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications may be used to help treat co-occurring symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders. Treatment may involve individual therapy sessions, group therapy, or a residential treatment center for personality disorders.
Tags: borderline personality disorder, comorbidity, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, psychiatric disorders, Related Conditions
With due credit to this DSM site for posting: https://www.borderlinepersonalitytreatment.com/bpd-narcissistic-personality-disorder-differences.html
Stupid is as stupid does.
My guess is that his fortune has allowed him to appear successful and cover up his unfair business practices and outright criminality. His main persuasive strategies work, but show little in the way of cleverness. Lie, and if caught, walk the lie back half way. Blame others. Talk about how great he is. This repertoire isn’t much different in him than it is in a badly-behaved 3rd grader.
The IQ thing is pretty well debunked at Snopes.
As AmberPaw says, the evidence for him has a personality disorder is overwhelming. I think it’s clear that he’s an extreme case of narcissistic personality disorder. He may have other PD tendencies (e.g., lack of conscience), but public evidence provides a strong case for that diagnosis.