Donald Trump and the Cornered Narcissist

By Dr David Laing Dawson

“Projection” within psychoanalytic circles is defined as a defense mechanism that entails attributing your own unconscious impulses to others. Of course in real life the division between unconscious and conscious is a wide grey field, as is the division between willful and impulsive.

And projection is a rather common defense used by children and teenagers when caught doing something they shouldn’t be doing: “He/she (sibs, friends, other kids in the class) did far worse things than me.” More accurately, I suppose, when fully conscious it is deflection, when unconscious it is projection. (with a lot of grey between)

When used by adults it is often more of a fully conscious justification, a salve for the conscience, to point out, or claim, that others have done worse.

For Donald Trump, his projections have frequently been, as those of an adolescent might be, directed at his younger sister, Hillary, and his High School rival, the better looking and more admired Barack.

And now as his circle of enemies widens so do Donald’s projections: to Pelosi, General Mattis, and Joe Biden, for example, ascribing his instability to Pelosi, his weakness to Mattis, and his corruption to Biden. To name just three of many.

One year ago I wrote a piece entitled “A Cornered Narcissist is not a Pretty Sight.” Well, Donald was not quite cornered then. He slipped out from under Mueller, who arrived at the hearing as a forgetful, tired old man who did not want this moment in history.

But now the walls are closing in again on Donald J. Trump and it may be worth publishing that piece once more:

Here is what to expect:

Increasing displays of petulance, irrational accusations, self-pity, rage, and depression, while he continues to seek out adoring crowds and fawning world leaders wherever he can find them.

This depression will take the form of blunt affect, self-imposed isolation, and paranoia.

I was struck by Trump’s demeanor right after the midterms. The news channels referred to it as upbeat, positive. His words (the actual words) started out upbeat, declaring the midterms a Republican “victory”, calling it “great”, before taking pot shots at all his favourite enemies and hinting at a democratic/deep state conspiracy against him, but his affect throughout this was flat, his pronunciation dull, his face blunted. even when using the words “great” and “victory” – at least until his petulant rage at Jim Acosta.

With the democrats now having the majority in the House, the republicans weakened in many State legislatures, the firing of Jeff Sessions, we are now into the endgame.

I don’t profess to feel any certainty how this will unfold. The possibilities include everything from impeachment to endless investigations to a thin gruel of feigned bipartisanship to more unrest, polarization, and violence.

But Donald Trump’s responses are predictable, and highly visible in his five tweets today attacking the press and the Mueller Investigation with even more recklessness and less attention to reality than we have seen before.

There was a time when a mad king could be isolated and the kingdom protected from his madness. Unfortunately we now have twitter and more than a few sycophants surrounding this president. And many more commentators still trying to shine a kind light on his outrageous words and notions.

Perhaps the world’s frightening march back to 1913 with the rise of nationalism, the erection of fences, the dissolution of agreements, and the rebirth of oligarchs will proceed without Trump. Or, or, or America might return to an improved version of itself as the beacon of successful liberal democracy, perhaps even with universal health care, gun control, less racism and a major role to play addressing climate change. I hope they try. Whatever poison flows below the 49th parallel tends to seep into Canada.

So, my American friends, it is now time for damage control and careful planning. If only you could promise him a statue bigger than Lincoln’s and the rating of “best president ever” in the history books in return for his retirement to Mar-a-Lago, quietly and permanently.