That is the number of votes that Trump received in the 2020 and 2024 Presidential elections. 73,407,735 in the most recent election and 74,223,975 in the 2020 election.1 Even assuming that there is a very large overlap between these two sets, the number of people voting for Trump has been very large.
Most Disturbing for the Future of Our Species
So, now we get to what plagues me about the two-time election of Trump. Certainly his policies are disturbing, but, given the range of policies proposed by politicians and by the rich and corporations who control them, these are not really outside of the boundaries at the extremes. No, it is the fact that all of us have had eight years to observe Trump in action. Four years during his first term and four more during the Biden presidency.
How would we characterize Trump as an individual human being?
Here is a list of adjectives that come to my mind after eight years of observing him.
- Narcissist – this is the most dominate impression. Trump cannot say even three of four sentences in a row without bringing the conversation back to him. With Trump it truly is all about Trump. He is boastful. He is the victim. He is a genius. He is Christ’s second coming. He is the sort of person who would strike you on meeting at a social event to be entirely self-centered.
Here is a definition of narcissism from WebMD2
Sense of Entitlement – A common sign of people with narcissism is the belief that they are superior to others and deserve special treatment. They believe that others should be obedient to their wishes and that the rules don’t apply to them.
Manipulative Behavior – Another common trait of narcissism is manipulative or controlling behavior. A narcissist will at first try to please you and impress you, but eventually, their own needs will always come first. When relating to other people, narcissists will try to keep people at a certain distance in order to maintain control. They may even exploit others to gain something for themselves.
Need for Admiration – One of the most common signs of a narcissist is a constant need for praise or admiration. People with this behavior need to feel validation from others and often brag or exaggerate their accomplishments for recognition. They also like to feel appreciated to boost their ego.
Lack of Empathy – Lack of empathy is another sign of narcissism. This means that the narcissist is unwilling or unable to empathize with the needs, wants, or feelings of other people. This also makes it difficult for them to take responsibility for their own behavior.
Arrogance – People with narcissistic behavior already see themselves as superior to others, so they may become rude or abusive when they don’t receive the treatment they think they deserve. While they hold themselves superior, they may speak or act rudely toward those that they deem are inferior.
Other signs include:
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A sense of self-importance, exaggerating their achievements and talents
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A preoccupation with fantasies of success, power, or brilliance
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A belief that they’re more special or unique than others and should only associate with other high-status people
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Envy of others or the belief that others are envious of them
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Insisting they have the best of everything
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Feeling they deserve privileges and special treatment
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Reading through this definition rings continuously that this is Trump.
- Liar – as recorded by the Washington Post, “In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims”3 His lying continues with such gale force energy that the media barely comments on it anymore. But think about having a friend, family member, or co-worker who behaved in this fashion. How would you treat them?
- Criminal, Fraudster, and Cheat – Trump is a convicted fraudster. NY State successfully tried Trump, several of his children, and various business associates for financial fraud before a jury. This trial fined him $364 million and banned him from doing business in NY. Trump’s earlier business life is replete with incidents of failure to pay business partners, suppliers, and contractors. Trump’s companies have declared bankruptcy six times.
- He has been charged and is awaiting trial in Georgia for election interference racketeering.
- Trump’s two Federal cases, one for election subversion (January 6th riot) and stealing government documents are on hold
- Sexual Predator and Misogynist – In May 2023, a jury concluded that Trump had sexually assaulted and defamed E. Jane Carroll, and awarded her $5 million. A second defamation case produced an $83.3 million judgment in January 2024. He was tried and convicted for felony business records falsification of hush money payments to women with whom he had sexual relations. The sentencing is on hold.
His attacks on women in the political and public world are, like his lying, so frequent and persistent that they hardly gain comment.
- Ignoramus – Trump reveals how little he knows of American history and the world in general almost every time he speaks. There is no need to enumerate them here. His historical ramblings seem most often to create history to suit his need to appeal to the white Christian nationalists, racists, and immigrant haters among his supporters.
- Sociopath (Anti-Social Personality Disorder (ASPD)) – again a definition from WebMD:4
Symptoms
People with ASPD may often do the following;
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Lie, con, and exploit others
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Act rashly
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Be irritable and aggressive
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Fight or assault other people
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Break the law and accepted social norms
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Not care about the safety of others or themselves
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Not show signs of remorse after hurting someone else
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Fail to meet money, work, or social duties
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Once again, as you read through this list of symptoms, the connections to Trump’s behavior are obvious and persistent.
- Babbler – Mentally Diminished – Challenge yourself to watch one of Trump’s campaign rallies for ten minutes. I forced myself to watch 35 minutes of a September 2024 Wisconsin speech. It was trying. They are readily available on YouTube. Any random ten minute selection will do. He stumbles getting through most sentences. He lurches from one thought fragment to another without there being any necessary or obvious or, at times, possible logical relation one to the other. Is this a person who you would trust to be responsible for even the simplest tasks? Is this a person to be trusted with nuclear launch codes?
What Does All This Have to Say About Our Species?
Trump is clearly a disturbing and disturbed human being. What does it say about our decision making processes at both the level of the individual, and as a society, that he has been elected again? In our long history of living in small groups, say 100-300 individuals, people with Trump’s behaviours would be disciplined, shamed, perhaps bannished from the tribe. These practices of social discipline evolved through our 290,000 year history of living in small scale groups. They protected the group from those with these obviously bad behaviours. What is it about our mass societies of the past several thousand years that has eroded our ability to see a Trump for what he is? This is particularly so in an age where we can gain knowledge with a click of the mouse. One does not have to be knowledgeable of Trump’s lies, fraud, ignorance, or criminal history to detect the narcissism and sociopathic tendencies. They are very obvious.
