Understanding Trump | Malibu Democratic Club

I Know You Are, But What Am I?

The Key to Understanding Trump & What to Do About it

After almost 3 years of covering Trump on the campaign trail and in office, many analysts still struggle to make sense of the self-proclaimed Wizard in the White House. They seem to be bamboozled by his bluster and blunder, when he is as clear and easy to read as a First Grade Reader. It is widely recognized, by his friends and foes alike, that Trump is a narcissist and a pathological liar, but relatively few recognize that much of his behavior is also a textbook case of “projection” – the defense mechanism that goes hand-in-hand with narcissism. And though he projects his negative traits and actions onto others almost as frequently as he lies (many times a day) – indeed, his lies often involve projection – Trump is rarely called out for it.

No one projects better or more often than a narcissist. A severe narcissist cannot “see” others. They can only see the reflections of themselves that they project on to others. More specifically, they project or deflect onto others things they don’t like about themselves. In other words, when Trump calls others names, or pejoratively describes their actions, he is in fact describing himself and his own actions. In so doing, Trump is telling us, loudly and clearly, exactly who he is and what he is up to.

Narcissists have a grandiose view of themselves, bolstered by an extensive web of self-delusion and lies, in order to protect a very fragile sense of self. Acknowledging negative things about oneself is so threatening to a narcissist’s fragile self-identity, that he/she deflects those traits or acts on others. Similarly, accepting criticism, or acknowledging mistakes threatens to crumble the fragile, delusional personality structure. That’s why Trump can never admit mistakes or apologize.

I am not big on arm-chair analysis, but this is not deep. This is as plain as the nose on his face, or indeed, his signature orange hair. It’s common sense understanding of people in the world around us. Just listen to what he says, and watch what he does. Most people tell us who they are – are dying to tell us who they are – if we just watch and listen. Apply this to anything Trump has said or done from the start of his Presidential campaign. It works without fail.

For example:

Trump’s Name-Calling or Claim	Translation
“CrookedHillary” “Lyin’ Ted” “Little Marco Rubio”	Those adjectives, in fact, describe Trump himself – crooked (aka dishonest – the Washington Post has identified 4000 lies he has told the public since his Inauguration.); a pathological, serial liar (even his lawyers believe him incapable of telling the truth); and a little, petty man.
“Fake News” He also disparages “anonymous sources”, claiming that that when a news outlet uses anonymous sources, that means that there is really no source for the story.	It is, of course, Trump who creates and trades in fake news – whatever story suits his purpose at the time. He’s done it throughout his life. As a young man, Trump courted publicity in the New York tabloids, to make a name for himself. He was known for calling news outlets, using aliases (such as “John Miller” or “John Barron), and planting phony stories – grandiose ones about himself, pejorative ones about his competitors or adversaries. Studies have found that people who lie believe most other people lie, while those who tell the truth believe most others tell the truth. Trump assumes that others lie and can’t be trusted, because he lies and can’t be trusted. Trump assumes all news operations work in the sleazy way that he and his tabloid friends did, but real journalists and serious journalistic organizations don’t. They take their commitment to high journalistic standards seriously. They are committed to uncovering the truth. Trump does not and is not.
“Witch Hunt” In Trump’s attempt to get the public not to believe damaging truth about himself, Trump is constantly calling the Special Counsel and other investigations into his possible wrong-doing, “witch hunts”.	It is, of course, Trump who is conducting the witch hunts. He continues to promote a politically motivated, unfounded witch hunt against Hillary Clinton, despite many, thorough investigations, each of which cleared her of any wrong-doing. Trump has whipped up the hatred and frenzy of a lynch mob against Hillary, with his baseless, continual promotion of the mantra, “Lock Her Up”. The emotion and mantra is scarily close to “Lynch Her Up”. Classic witch hunt. He’s done the same with many US government (Republican) officials who would not compromise their integrity, or the integrity of the institutions they served, for Trump’s unscrupulous, sometimes illegal, ends. Today, he makes the same kind of slanderous allegations against foes (real or imagined) that he used to make to the tabloids, except now, he has the power of the Presidency to put the criminal investigative power of the US Government behind his “Trumped”-up slander. Horrific witch hunts and abuse of his power, bringing harm to many innocent people. He continually pushes for groundless Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations against his political enemies – witch hunts – while protesting prosecutions of Republicans, even though they are based on solid evidence, and brought by his Republican-controlled DOJ.
He often claims that “what’s going on” is “disgraceful.”	While Trump says this in reference to something else, he usually says this at a time that his Administration or White House is doing something truly disgraceful.
“Security Risk” – Trump often claims that others are security risks.	There is no one else in the White House, the Executive Branch or Congress who is a greater security risk to this country than Donald Trump himself. Early in his term, Trump passed on top secret information to the Russian Ambassador and Foreign Secretary at their meeting at the White House. In doing, so he was either a dimwit or an agent of the Russians. Either way, he poses a “huge” security risk. It is still unclear whether he is compromised, vis-à-vis the Russians. If he weren’t the President, he would not qualify for a top security clearance. Revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book, Fear, further confirm the seriousness of the threat Trump poses to national security.
“Lock Her Up”	Lock HIM up? Could it be that he knows he has committed crimes, or deserves to be locked up? Obstruction of justice? Money laundering? Instigating groundless investigations (sometimes criminal) against innocent, honorable people? Conspiracy to aid and abet a foreign power? Only time will tell.

Comically, the best answer to much of Trump’s childish name-calling would be the classic childhood refrain, “I know you are, but what am I?”

But that won’t solve the problem. And the problem is a serious one. It’s not an idle parlor game. It has serious repercussions for domestic policy, national security and foreign relations. His projection and deflection is not limited to his personal life. It pervades everything he does, and it does not stop at the border. He can and does project and deflect onto foreign heads of state and countries, not just individuals, thereby deeply insulting many of our allies. So, what can you really do about it? It’s actually quite easy.

This dangerous situation in the White House will stop the minute the voters put an end to it – not a minute before, and not a minute after.

No amount of outrageous news reports, tell-all books, anonymous op-eds, rulings by the Supreme Court, or even scathing indictments from the Special Counsel, backed up by overwhelming evidence, will bring this to the end.

The voters started this – and only the voters can end it. As it should be.

The Founding Fathers built protections into our Constitution against demagoguery, dictators, rogues and thieves, but they also made it tough to over-ride the will of the people. And in our tradition, those serving in all branches of our government have immense respect for the will of the people, as they should. The ultimate power in our form of government resides in the people. All power in our government, whether directly or through the states, comes from the people. Our power does not derive from a divine king, a President, Congress, or the States. It is the other way around. Trump is only President because nearly 63 million voters voted for him, enough to give him the electoral delegates to win.

Anyone who votes for Trump or an elected representative who supports Trump, is complicit in everything that this Administration and Republican Congress does. No one who turned a blind eye in 2016, or “just wanted to shake things up” and hoped for the best, can now claim ignorance of what he would do.

Moreover, anyone who sits by idly at a time like this is also complicit. The protection of our democracy, including its precious civil liberties, is the trust and responsibility of each generation. It is our charge to protect it, nurture it, make it stronger, and bequeath it to future generations for their care. This is our hour, our time to protect the precious democracy we inherited.

Evil only thrives when good people do nothing. There is no lack of clarity at this point about what this President, this Administration and this Republican Congress stand for. They have supported bigotry, and white Nationalism. Trump has had no problem attacking black athletes for very respectful protest, but has trouble denouncing neo-Nazis. They have heartlessly torn infants and young children from parents as a policy to inhibit immigration, with not enough competence or care to ensure they could reunite them again. They have cut health care for the poor while providing record-breaking tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. And they have shown reckless disregard for the environment.

So what can you do about it?

Remember:

The source of all power resides in you.

You are more powerful than the President.

You are more powerful than the Congress.

You are more powerful than the Supreme Court.

You are more powerful than any Special Counsel.

Exercise the full extent of your power. Exercise your right to vote.

Get active.

Don’t be complicit.

Vote without fail.

Volunteer to the extent you can.

Donate to the extent you can.

Just click those ruby red slippers, vote, and the nightmare will be over.

Yes, it’s really that simple to find our way home again.