Trump, a malignant narcissist?

by Jerry Miller, Hamilton

The following opinion is based on 20 years as a mental health therapist, 10 as a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider in Washington State and, after returning to Montana, frequent contact with inmates as a liaison between the local detention center and mental health center.

It seems that from the time Donald Trump first entered the political scene the media and others have struggled to understand his thinking and subsequent behaviors. He has been described as everything from “sent by God” to “psychopath.” I believe a reasonable and valid approach to begin to understand Trump is to focus on his core personality. Dr. Theodore Millon states in  Disorders of Personality, DSM-IV and Beyond, that “personality” is “distinctive patterns of feeling, thinking, coping, and behaving (4);” It is “enduring across time and pervasive across situations (16).” Personality is the bottom line, “entrenched play book” of each and every individual.  

It is my opinion that from the beginning, Trump has displayed multiple traits of a psychopath. A number of experts have also described Trump as a Malignant Narcissist. Robert Hare, PhD, (universally recognized leader in psychopathic research) and Paul Babiak PhD, in their book Snakes in Suits, states that “malignant narcissism” is difficult to distinguish from psychopathy” (41). Others have stated that the psychopath is a violent and aggressive variant of Narcissistic Personality Disorder with negligible differences. I will refer to Malignant Narcissistic Personality Disorder using the acronym MNPD to include psychopathy. A personality disorder does not preclude additional coexisting disorders. The recognition of MNPD can provide a core level, data-based framework to understand, as well as broadly predict, Trump’s behavior and, equally important, motivation. The universally validated Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL-R), developed by R. Hare, lists 20 specific personality traits. Generally, the most obvious of these are grandiosity, pathological lying, promiscuous sexual behavior, failure to accept responsibility for behaviors, and consistently perceiving oneself as a victim. Given space limitations, interested readers can find the specific traits, along with in-depth information, on the internet.

It is critical to be aware of the “characterological sadistic” feature of MNPD. Otto Kernberg MD, in Aggression in Personality Disorders and Perversions(23), states that the psychopath experiences “exhilaration and pleasure from the pain and dehumanizing of others.” Individuals “with the syndrome of malignant narcissism … may consistently attempt to exploit, destroy, symbolically castrate, or dehumanize significant others.” This is often referred to as “contemptuous delight”. Kernberg also notes “an incapacity for love”(71). Trump’s comments display this daily with hateful, demeaning remarks and nicknames. It is his stereotypical, narrow, and unwavering response to any perceived criticism, a common response pattern of MNPD. He displays zero compassion or empathy for the human carnage he creates, including the current starvation and deaths of thousands of children in Sudan through slashing programs such as USAID, his promiscuous sexual behaviors (including penetration which is rape by MT law) meant to show power and to humiliate, and the potential or actual firing or firing-rehiring of government employees with no assessment of their value or resultant family turmoil. When challenged about the Vance/Trump maligning of legal Haitian immigrants, he and Vance simply doubled down, increasing the community’s pain as well as significant danger. He has mocked the disabled, war veterans, and sexual abuse victims. The list goes on and on. The MNPD not only strives for complete power and control, but gets sadistic enjoyment and pleasure from the destruction, pain, and chaos caused by his pathological needs. This has been consistent throughout Trump’s Presidency and likely throughout his life.

This opinion is just the tip of a very large iceberg. Personally, it has taken time, in-person experience, and training to gain a greater understanding of this population. I hope this writing will help others recognize this pathology. I strongly encourage readers to explore MNPD more thoroughly and form your own conclusions. Hare/Babiak’s “Snakes in Suits” is a readable, informative source.