An Absence of Integrity

Mary Trump, in her book, calls Uncle Donald a sociopath. Norman Cameron, PhD from the University of Michigan and an MD from Johns Hopkins in his book “Personality Development and Psychopathology A Dynamic Approach” has a chapter on the traits of a “Sociopathic Personality Disturbance.”  This essay provides examples of Donald’s behavior with comparisons to individuals with the pathology traits of a sociopathic personality disturbance.

A few of the characteristics of an individual with a sociopathic personality disturbance follows. This person, with this disturbance, seems unable to learn from his experiences in certain areas of interpersonal relationships. This interpersonal dysfunctional behavior represses anger that results with interactions of being defiant, being oppositional, expressing hatred, selfishness and prejudice.  These persons may have average or above average intelligence. However, these individuals are unable to control their inappropriate impulses. Their acting out antisocial behavior often leads, and results in illegal acts.

These individuals, with their defective superego conscience, often cannot fully realize why their behavior is socially wrong, and dangerous. Further, they have shallow feelings, do not feel deep remorse nor are they able to exhibit empathy. This suggests that they are likely to insist that there is nothing wrong. Because of their desires for immediate gratification without regard for the demands, rights or feelings of others, they seem incapable of assuming common socially acceptable responsibilities. They have a selfish and withholding lack of consideration for others.  They are without an appropriate or dependable conscience.  With some form of guilt, frustration, then repressed anger follows and directed inward. Because of their defective conscience, and deficient ego functioning, they are powerless to control impulses. As a result, these individuals make the same behavioral mistakes again and again.

The development of a sociopathic personality disturbance individual begins in childhood. Roughly at the age of four, the precursors of conscience, within the superego, begins with the identification and interjection mechanisms. The child initially identifies with the all-powerful parents. The omnipotent fathers are extremely important in the process. That parent, according to his own personality development, has the power to reinforce all types of actions by the child. The reinforcement can include monetary rewards, approval, disapproval, cruelty, love and even rejection.  The reinforcements can be regular, irregular, fair, not fair, contradictory, clear and unclear with a lack of affection and warmth as well. During this Identification and interjection process, the child unconsciously and consciously learns that what is important for that father figure. The child learns the inconsistencies, attitudes, beliefs, prejudices as it relates to the world both in and out of the home. In essence, the child develops a conscience with moral and ethical rights, wrongs, and his conscience becomes like his father’s conscience.  The cliché “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” fits here.

As result of defective conscience development because of the father and mother, the child’s conscience too becomes unable to take on social responsibility while failing to establish stable emotional relationships with others. It’s not surprising that this individual becomes like the identified parent or parents with a similar conscience. In other words, the child takes on the sociopathic qualities of the identified parent- capricious, inconsistent, impulsive, sadistic, selfish, irresponsible, and neglectful emotionally, with meaningless and asocial attitudes toward others. The parental negative asocial qualities are now the qualities of the individual child. Both parent and child can have sociopathic personality disturbance traits.

Applying the characteristics of a sociopath personality, to the narcissistic Donald follows. One example is the sociopath’s faulty relationships with others. Donald talked about draining the swamp and that he knew the best people. This meant that he “put up with” individuals that were loyal to him and would terminate those not loyal to him. Currently, the White House is now conducting a loyalty test with one on one interviews across many departments in an attempt to weed out the disloyal. Donald’s, one time, personal lawyer Michael Cohen did a wide array of illegal acts for him for many years. When Cohen didn’t lie during investigations, Donald quickly left Michael and called him a rat. When Jeff Sessions, his first attorney general, did not do exactly what was wanted pertaining to the Mueller investigation, Jeff was no longer a friend because of his disloyalty. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the coronavirus expert, has a science point of view. Because Fauci’s scientific information is dissonant to Trumps, Donald ignores him and views him as an enemy. Donald doesn’t want to hear nor does he want the public to hear the science of Covid-19.  The insecure, selfish Donald is now silencing the CDC from presenting Coved 19 information. This once prestigious agency is no longer receiving the data. Instead HHS is the focal point. The narcissistic sociopath can now have more control and lie about the numbers pertaining to this awful epidemic.

Donald, the narcissistic sociopath, has provides misinformation for the social welfare of the country. Donald’s messaging regarding Covid -19 has been selfish, cruel, incorrect, and hateful toward the public. The welfare and protection of the country should be his first presidential responsibility. The government, meaning the narcissistic sociopath, has lied, over and over about this disease. It’s going to go away, we have it under control, use a disinfectant etc.’s. His selfishness and lack of leadership is appalling.  He finally said wearing a mask is patriotic. Donald threatens to withhold money from schools for not opening. The Covid-19 numbers are staggering and in fact we have about the same number of cases and deaths as do the next three highest countries-Brazil, India and Russia.

This narcissistic sociopathic fraud says the Covid 19 numbers are inaccurate and that we have more cases because we test more. Yes, the numbers are inaccurate because our tests are not always credible. We have too many false negatives – people, actually being sick, believing they don’t have the virus. About 20% of some test results are inaccurate. Our disease numbers are greater not less. Testing more is not why we have greater numbers. We have greater numbers because we are unfortunately transmitting the disease. Not only do people not wear facemasks, social distancing etc. but for many the turnaround getting a test and test results can take up to two weeks. It’s not about freedom. It’s about selfishness.

The narcissistic sociopath is not confident of his intelligence based on the fact that his sister did his school homework, he did not take his ACT’S and does not want the colleges to reveal his academic record. However, that does not stop Donald from saying he’s the smartest in the room which really inflates the idealized image that he has himself. He falsely said that he aced a recent test. The test in question, Montreal Cognitive Assessment test provides cursory information regarding Dementia .In part it asses short term memory with no letter grades.

Donald’s life is about self-interest that results in silencing prostitutes, nondisclosure documents, numerous lawsuits, a phony University, a phony foundation, being impeached etc. Partially, his anxiety is a precursor to his desperate need to be loved and admired. This man has repressed hostility, which relates to persistent lying, ruthlessness, exploitation and lack of concern for the welfare of others.

This narcissistic sociopath, with his defective conscience, has been able to flaunt, like a king, the rule of law with the help of his current Atty. Gen. He fires “whistleblowers,” federal prosecutors, withholds tax returns, and made a mockery of his impeachment. The Senate did not hear one witness. Up to now, the only restrictions containing him, are the recent Supreme Court decisions. It seems that he doesn’t learn and continues to act as if he’s king and above the law. There is even speculation that the oppositional Donald may not leave the White House. Donald has repeatedly said there’s been voter fraud; he’s leading in the polls;” I’m not losing and I may not accept the election results.”

This narcissistic sociopath does not care about most in our country let alone the world. He withdrew from the Paris Accord; gave tax incentives and withdrew restrictions for the fossil fuel industry; left the Iranian nuclear deal, is now in inefficient, costly and destructive tariff wars, and was an enabler in the tax breaks for the top 1%. Donald also took about $400,000 of campaign finance money and gave it to his Mar a Lago property and uses tax payer funds while filling his properties. Donald is irresponsible, dangerous, exhibits criminal behaviors with a defective conscience. The future of our country and world is at risk.

I agree with Mary Trump that he should resign. I also agree that his behavior is similar to sociopathic personality traits. Yes, he can be charming, manipulative, and competitive. As for his concern for others, he has been impotent and inept about the health and welfare of our country. His lack of respect, his sadism, his racism pertaining to George Floyd and the separating and incarcerating policy pertaining to children and parents, at the southern border cannot be forgotten. His 38% selfish approval rate for handling the Covid 19 virus is scary.  He has too many followers that are like him.

 Donald has a history of bankruptcy. Donald is intellectually bankrupt; he has bankrupted the economy; he is morally bankrupt; he has ethically bankrupted the office of the presidency, the rule of law; and he is without integrity. It’s important to make this narcissist, sociopath, racist, sadistic anti-Semitic Donald a one term president.