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    A psychiatrist assesses Trump: A lonely, terrified boy — afraid of his father and unloved by his mother

    Bandy X. Lee, DC Report @Raw Story
    August 04, 2020

    Thanks for your support!

    This article was paid for by reader donations to Raw Story Investigates.

    Donald Trump, left, with father Fred Trump (Screen cap).

    This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers. Not a subscriber? Try us and go ad-free for $1. Prefer to give a one-time tip? Click here.

    Bandy X. Lee, DC Report @Raw Story
    The roots of Donald’s inability to feel empathy or compassion lie in the relationship with his mother. When a child has rarely been held, it is hard ever to feel loved.

    Mary Trump’s book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, gives an unprecedented firsthand look at a president through the lens of a mental health expert, echoing the unprecedented first-time-in-history consensus of thousands of mental health experts who came forth with concerns about a U.S. president. Dr. Justin Frank, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in Washington, DC, and former clinical professor at George Washington University Medical Center, was among those voices, publishing his book, Trump on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President, two years earlier. 


    For this, Part 3 of our series, “Inside the Mind of Donald J. Trump,” Frank was interviewed by Bandy X. Lee, a Yale forensic psychiatrist and a frequent contributor to DCReport. She is the editor of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President.

    Lee: You studied psychoanalysis in Boston, at the same institutions I graduated from, and so I know your training is impeccable. I also endorsed your in-depth study of Donald Trump because I felt it was an invaluable contribution to society. How does Dr. Mary Trump’s book compare with your analysis of the president “on the couch”? What did you think of the Trump family’s generational transmission of “chronic criminality, arrogance, and disregard for others”? Does this family disposition explain how someone apparently more humane, such as Fred Jr., would perish in this context? 

    Frank: First, Mary Trump’s book is powerful, full of new examples of Trump family cruelty, and extremely well-written—even with bits of humor. Her experiences fleshed out my findings, though none was inconsistent with my analysis. In fact, I felt her book confirmed the validity and usefulness of applied psychoanalysis in helping us understand our political leaders. What she wrote about her loving father Fred Trump Jr. was deeply moving.

    Your question about what happens to a family member so obviously different from the family ethos is answered clearly by how abused and rejected Fred Jr. eventually was. I wrote a chapter about Donald’s relationship with his older brother, about his envy of everything from Fred Jr.’s natural popularity to his being named for Donald’s father. Donald saw what happened to Fred Jr. when he stood up to Fred Sr. and decided early on to just obey his father’s demands.

    Mary Trump’s book mostly focused on Donald’s father. I found Donald’s mother just as problematic and devoted my opening chapter to her. She was unavailable—Donny was two—when she was suddenly rushed away to give birth to his brother Robert. She had a hemorrhage that led to a hysterectomy, and she almost died. I didn’t know, however, how sickly she was upon returning home. She had severe osteoporosis and became physically fragile.

    But those infirmities weren’t the only source of her being emotionally unavailable. I think the roots of Donald’s inability to feel empathy or compassion lie in their relationship. When a child has rarely been held, it is hard ever to feel loved enough—making the title of Mary Trump’s book so perfectly apt. She also could have changed “is” for “and” —especially since we have daily witness to Trump’s greed and his desperate need to golf even, and maybe especially, during the pandemic. Then the title might have been, “Too Much Is Never Enough.”

    Does the absence of Donald’s mother explain the separation of children from their parents at the southern border? Will his own children be just as criminal and cruel? 

    “Not having enough” links with Trump’s envy and your question about immigrant children. Donny was always deeply envious of mother-child love, and as president he suddenly had the opportunity to spoil that love by keeping children in cages, separated from their loving mothers.

    As for tyrant father and terrified son, Mary’s revelation that Donny mocked his father after Fred Sr. became demented was a surprise to me: Donny had been too afraid to stand up to him until then. President Trump’s relentless Twitter bravado—courage from afar while wrapped up in an Oval Office blanket—reveals his arrested psychological development.

    Trump’s children already are chips off the old block, without compassion or scruples. Ivanka tries to sound compassionate but fails miserably. A softer version of her father, she pushes her way into conversations where she’s not wanted, just like her father forcing himself into New York’s elite circles. Videos of her trying to interact with foreign leaders are painful to watch, especially one when she tries to get between French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron and IMF Chair Christine Lagarde. Her father never got over being an outsider, while Ivanka seems surprised by her new outsider status.

    Mary Trump lets us see the embattled Trump family attitude. They think only of winning or losing. That kind of thinking made Trump’s presidency such a disaster for us all. All presidents make decisions, but when thinking rejects subtlety and complexity, it’s not thinking at all; it’s reacting. And options are limited. Trump can yell at a reporter, walk out of a meeting, or accuse an interviewer of lying. And he only understands force, never negotiation. It was not America First that led Trump to abandon all our treaties—it was that he fears complexity, having never learned to think properly.

    I thought your description in your book about how a neurological learning disorder in Donald Trump developed into a psychological problem was insightful. Dr. Trump goes into this as well. How do you think the shame of not being confident enough to take his own SAT’s has affected his sense of self and his development?

    I had no knowledge that Trump asked a friend to take his SAT’s. But it fits. Shame is involved, prompting his need to cover up for his inadequacies. I didn’t use the term “compensatory grandiosity” in my book, but clearly that’s what he displays regularly. He has the “best words,” the “best knowledge,” and he appoints the “best people.” Again, binary thinking—winning or losing—allows him only two options. Just witness the vicissitudes of his interactions with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Your question about his sense of self is extremely important—because even as he’s arguably the most powerful man in the world, he remains thin-skinned, easily wounded, and needs to puff himself up.

    Dr. Trump describes a striking “institutionalization” most of his adult life. How has his “total dependence on a caregiver” under his father groomed him to be an easy tool for dictator figures such as Vladimir Putin, Recep Erdoğan, or Mitch McConnell? 

    Simple: he admires dictators because they remind him of his father and of what he’s not. Being easily manipulated by flattery makes any POTUS dangerous to our well-being. And Putin is more like his father because somehow Trump seems unconsciously afraid of him.

    Trump admires dictators because they remind him of his father and of what he’s not... Putin is more like his father because somehow Trump seems unconsciously afraid of him.

    A president like that cannot preserve, protect, or defend our Constitution or govern effectively. Just look at the deaths from COVID-19, polluted drinking water around America, and our massive unemployment. Clearly not simply a result of Putin. Trump’s character defects are the problem: arrogance, binary thinking, inability to learn—not to mention cruelty and attacks on loving relationships—make him incapable. He cannot think or solve problems. His grandiosity helps him call facts “fake news.”

    Mary Trump makes it vividly clear that her uncle cannot govern. It’s not that he won’t. His father, [attorney] Roy Cohn, and [TV producer] Mark Burnett once rescued him, making him passively hope his base and Attorney General Barr will do it. But nobody can rescue him from his profound character deficits. Thought is trial action, but Trump acts without being able to think. We mental health professionals keep trying to make sense of who Donald Trump is. But that clearly must be a prelude to taking direct action. Mary Trump makes that crystal clear.

    This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers. Not a subscriber? Try us and go ad-free for $1. Prefer to give a one-time tip? Click here.

    Enjoy good journalism?

    … then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.

    Raw Story is independent. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.

    We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click to donate by check.

    Value Raw Story?

    … then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. We need your support to do what we do.

    Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.


    Report typos and corrections to: corrections@rawstory.com.
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    Survey: Should Donald Trump be prosecuted after he leaves office?

    Lindsey Graham uses inauguration to rip Hunter Biden: 'Nobody hesitated to send a wrecking ball to the Trump family'

    David Edwards
    January 20, 2021

    Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Wednesday used an interview about Joe Biden's inauguration to launch an attack on the new president's son, Hunter Biden.

    Just minutes after the inauguration ceremony concluded, Graham appeared on CBS News, where he defended smearing Hunter Biden during the 2020 campaign.

    "If Mike Pence's son had been accused of doing the things that Hunter Biden did, you wouldn't be asking me does it hurt my relationship with Vice President Pence to make sure that these things are looked at," Graham complained. "So, no, I like Joe Biden. But what I can't get over is the fact there are allegations about Hunter Biden and his brother monetizing the vice presidency and all of the sudden you're a bad guy if you want to let the process move forward."

    "I like you, I want to work with you," the senator said of the Biden family. "But nobody hesitated to send a wrecking ball to the Trump family. So all I can say is if you want to heal the nation, we need to start anew."

    Last month, Graham called on the Trump Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate Biden's son.

    Watch the video below from CBS.

    'Clueless moron': QAnon congresswoman ripped for declaring Biden is China’s president just after inauguration

    Bob Brigham
    January 20, 2021

    Controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has voiced support for QAnon and other conspiracy theories, on Wednesday blasted President Joe Biden shortly after he was inaugurated.

    Greene voiced outrage that China imposed sanctions on top officials from the previous administration for "a series of crazy moves" out of "selfish political interests."

    "President Joe Biden is going to play clueless Grandpa by standing aside and allowing America's enemies to go after his political enemies," Greene charged. "Communist China has their President ... China Joe."

    The first-term member of Congress received harsh criticism for her tweet, here's some of what people were saying:

    @mtgreenee @JoeBiden https://t.co/ILFUsFJdrA
    — Not Chuck Gettemy, Esq (@Not Chuck Gettemy, Esq)1611168551.0


    You calling ANYONE "clueless" risks causing all the Known Irony on the Universe to collapse on itself, Princess Mensa.
    — NickyGoodTimes (@NBSTAV) January 20, 2021


    @mtgreenee @JoeBiden Poor clueless Q Moron Marjorie 🤣 https://t.co/YbZz1qojYi
    — Debbie (@Debbie)1611168897.0


    Here we go again; remember History does not have a pause button. What could you not show decorum and class and pause for a day? Be the ANTIBIOTIC NOT THE INFECTION
    — (((Follow Jeff))) "That Centrist Guy ! " (@jeffstorobinsky) January 20, 2021


    That's okay - you're playing the part of clueless Congresswoman daily. And very well, I might add.
    — John Mountjoy (@JohnJMountjoy) January 20, 2021


    @Msbeervendor @mtgreenee @JoeBiden To be fair that’s how @GOP has trained their elected officials.
    — Speaking For Myself (@Speaking For Myself)1611168776.0


    Class of 2020 pic.twitter.com/6gDCUq6h4v
    — JGutter (@RealJGutter) January 20, 2021


    You need to be banned from government. There's a lot you don't understand, the same way there was a lot Trump did not understand.
    — andrew (@andrew70112) January 20, 2021


    Maybe Trump shouldn't have started a pointless trade war for political points. Just sayin.
    — Gym Jordan (@9JxKVeZzSU1MsuV) January 20, 2021


    Everyone one of those people on the list is a traitor to America, so who cares if China sanctions them? What does it matter, since they are no longer in government and are awaiting US charges against them?

    And you need to b expelled for helping to incite an insurrection.
    — 🌊🇺🇸The Masked Carrie Sweet🇺🇸🌊 (@CarrieSweet2017) January 20, 2021


    Is someone upset the “storm" didn't happen today :(
    — windmill fume huffer (@SethnitraM) January 20, 2021











    Shhhh. The adults are back in charge now.
    — G H (@SGHouse90) January 20, 2021


    resign, seditious traitor
    — Dr. L.D. Burnett (@LDBurnett) January 20, 2021


    Mellow remains unharshed. https://t.co/YLZ5plvoXv
    — Charles P. Pierce (@Charles P. Pierce)1611168903.0


    It’s gonna be fun watching you burn your entire career. https://t.co/V6Npxe2YaH
    — Paintballri (@Paintballri)1611168871.0

    Proud Boys leader charged for role in pro-Trump Capitol riots

    Brad Reed
    January 20, 2021

    Federal officials this week arrested Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs and slapped him with criminal charges for his role in leading the pro-Trump riots that rocked the United States Capitol building on January 6th.

    In a criminal complaint released Wednesday, the FBI revealed that it had used footage taken during the Capitol riot to determine that Biggs illegally broke into the building with the intent to "obstruct, influence, or impede an official proceeding before Congress."

    Specifically, the FBI claimed that Biggs entered the Capitol within seconds after one of his fellow Proud Boys smashed a glass window and entered the building.

    Biggs, however, told investigators that the doors to the building were already open when he arrived, which is contradicted by footage reviewed by law enforcement officials.

    The entire criminal complaint can be found here.

     
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    Trump spends final moments in the White House raging at Republican leaders on Capitol Hill: report

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    Lindsey Graham uses inauguration to rip Hunter Biden: 'Nobody hesitated to send a wrecking ball to the Trump family'

    'Clueless moron': QAnon congresswoman ripped for declaring Biden is China’s president just after inauguration

    Proud Boys leader charged for role in pro-Trump Capitol riots

    Hidden message found on Biden's new White House website

    'You're still not getting a pardon': Rudy Giuliani hammered for sucking up to former president Trump

    28 Trump officials banned from China for ‘a series of crazy moves’ out of ‘selfish political interests’: report

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    Man arrested after threatening to 'go out in a blaze of glory' during Biden's inauguration: report

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    'A fraudulent, phony thing': Fox News pundit says Trump skipped inauguration because he 'doesn't fake things'

    QAnon lawmaker leads Tennessee Assembly in a moment of silence to mourn the end of Trump's presidency

    MSNBC's Morning Joe and Mika bust Trump's boasts about working hard: 'He golfed and watched TV!'

    'Pretty repulsive': Wolf Blitzer bashes Trump's 'totally inappropriate' rally before leaving office

    'An embarrassment': Trump's final speech as president immediately gets panned by CNN's Jake Tapper

    Trump has 'surpassed an awfulness' that ranks him among America's very worst presidents: historians

    Trump was tormented by Lincoln Project ads on Fox News that told him 'the end is coming': report

     
     

    Copyright © 2021 Raw Story Media, Inc. PO Box 21050, Washington, D.C. 20009 | Masthead | Privacy Policy | For corrections or concerns, please email corrections@rawstory.com.

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