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Martin Eden

(15,905 posts)
23. Malignant narcissism is a mental pathology
Sat May 16, 2026, 08:31 AM
May 16

Last edited Sat May 16, 2026, 09:45 AM - Edit history (2)

The word "crazy" is not a medical diagnosis. It is commonly understood in a binary sense (is he crazy or not?) and implies not responsible for his actions.

The word "evil" is of course not a medical diagnosis. It is very subjective, binary, and unhelpful in understanding someone's mental condition. Is a sociopath who has no empathy for other human beings evil? I would say that depends on how his actions impact the lives of people.

I am not qualified to render a diagnosis, but I have an opinion after observing Donald Trump since he entered politics.

Many mental health professionals have stated he is a malignant narcissist, and I concur. Given his obvious lack of empathy, I'd say he is a sociopath as well.

Neither of these terms render him not responsible for his actions, but they do make him egregiously unfit for office -- especially combined with his incessant (pathological) lying, corruption, criminality, and willful ignorance.

He apparently makes no effort to read and educate himself on the broad base of knowledge critically important for a president to make smart decisions -- even for his own best interests. If he really believes he "knows more" than the generals and experts in other fields related to presidential responsibilities, he is delusional.

Functionally, that makes him stupid. Nevertheless, Donald Trump is a very talented con man. He is a consumer of television and social media, gaining an understanding of the mindset and grievances of voters being manipulated by Fox News and other rightwing media. He entered the 2016 primary from outside the Republican establishment and beat all the other candidates at their own game.

Such a talent is a form of intelligence, yet his willful ignorance makes him stupid. His mental pathologies won't let him admit to himself or others that his knowledge and therefore his ability is woefully deficient. He can be manipulated by others with greater knowledge and less mental pathology.

Is he in cognitive decline, with increasing dementia? I'm not qualified to render a diagnosis, but I think not. All his negative and deficient traits are getting worse, but I think that is related to age and primarily rooted in a realization (perhaps only on a subconscious level) that consequences are catching up with him and he is going to die. Rather than moderate his actions and rhetoric, desperation and fear make him double down on his worst impulses, lashing out more than ever and building monuments to himself to feed the bottomless pit of his ego and need.

Is Donald Trump EVIL?

Given his impact on the lives of people, our country, and the world, I will say he is by far the most EVIL person in the history of the United States of America.

Recommendations

7 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

The asshole needs an exorcist, not a psychiatrist. dalton99a May 16 #1
Exactly! He is pure evil. Grim Chieftain May 16 #3
It drives me crazy FHRRK1 May 16 #2
Precisely. B.See May 16 #8
Morally evil and mentally ill are not mutually excludve. wnylib May 16 #27
THIS malaise May 16 #30
I was going to posit the same thing - he is both. yellow dahlia May 16 #34
I'd agree they aren't mutually exclusive. He's B.See May 16 #43
And he's not dumb. He's a diabolical genius. nt pnwmom May 16 #4
BULLSHIT. He is profoundly stupid. Even Rex Tillerson recognized that in his first term. AZ8theist May 16 #6
Yes, he is mentally dull NJCher May 16 #7
What that means is that his genius, i.e., his superpower, is in being evil. nt pnwmom May 16 #15
He is completely immoral Cosmocat May 16 #31
Violence Whip-poor-will May 16 #16
He may be somewhat stupid; but even more so Profoundly Ignorant and doesn't care... electric_blue68 Monday #45
Or maybe he's gotten a free pass for evil, underhanded s---- that would've gotten anyone else LOCKED UP, long ago. B.See May 16 #9
NOPE Skittles May 16 #12
an evil genius wd intelligently pick his targets. mopinko May 16 #22
It's just an issue of word choice NJCher May 16 #28
Why. Can't. He. Just. Die? Grim Chieftain May 16 #5
Trump is sly...he knows how to manipulate racists BlueWaveNeverEnd May 16 #10
doesn't take "sly" to do that NJCher May 16 #24
He won't die and go to hell, Satan doesn't even BigmanPigman May 16 #11
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯 ..... ♾️ live love laugh May 16 #13
Paint "Old Smokey" gold. BidenRocks May 16 #14
I AGREE. THANK YOU, B.SEE. Cha May 16 #17
Thank you, Cha. B.See May 16 #44
Trump has The Dark Triad Personality no_hypocrisy May 16 #18
Thank you for your summary and your willingness to share your story. yellow dahlia May 16 #35
Woah especially about that last (then) possibility. electric_blue68 Monday #46
I think a person can be both evil and mentally ill. The notion calling Trump mentally ill is somehow harmful to those Vinca May 16 #19
a psychiatrist once told me NJCher May 16 #25
He's at the center of a Venn diagram of evil, stupid, and crazy. Ocelot II May 16 #20
What his best friend said about him... Kid Berwyn May 16 #21
Malignant narcissism is a mental pathology Martin Eden May 16 #23
I've only been saying this forever. BlueTsunami2018 May 16 #26
I will not grant trump the sympathetic response that "mentally ill" deserves. Totally Tunsie May 16 #29
Yes yes yes TommieMommy May 16 #32
Evil schmevil. gulliver May 16 #33
Technically incorrect. returnee May 16 #36
Histrionic Personality Disorder, less recognized in men. Obvious in this one Maru Kitteh May 16 #41
we tend to think of monsters as fictional beasts agingdem May 16 #37
Regarding Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Martin Eden May 16 #39
Correct mvd May 16 #38
Evil is a religious construct and not very useful. He certainly IS mentally ill. Maru Kitteh May 16 #40
Frontal lobe dementia plus sadism: loves to hurt people, deliberately. lindysalsagal May 16 #42
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