Therapist and author Elliott Connie suspects President Donald Trump’s closing pitch before Tuesday’s midterm elections pointed to something deeper than bad messaging: a possible mental health disorder.
In a video breaking down the remarks, Connie said Trump’s fixation on the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, along with his musing about slapping his own name on it, fit the profile of narcissistic personality disorder, which Connie suspected the president “very well might” have.
“Now, we’re giving serious thought to changing the name to the ‘Trump Reflecting Pool,’” Trump said, before adding, “I’m only kidding! Please, don’t report it!”
To Connie, the choice of topic was the tell.
“Rather than share some sort of a galvanizing message about the policies he’s going to be putting forward ... about the conditions of Americans improving should people vote for the Republicans in these midterms, he spent a lot of his time talking about the disastrous reflection pool,” Connie said. “I want to talk about exactly why.”
Connie said people who struggle with the disorder tend to be “very, very superficial” and display what he called grandiosity.
“So he is focused on the grandiosity, grandiose plans he has for this reflection pool, even thinking about calling it the ‘Trump Reflection Pool,’” Connie said. “That is exactly in line with the kind of person who would think along the terms of narcissistic personality disorder.”
In Connie’s view, the president’s priorities were clear.
“He’s not thinking of the American public and the American people, what they need, what they wish for, what they want out of this election,” Connie said. “He’s only thinking about what would be in his best interest, what would be right for him.”
Connie argued the spectacle only adds up through that lens.
“None of this makes any sense, especially heading into an election,” he said. “But it is perfectly making sense if you think about it in terms of a mental health disorder like narcissistic personality disorder.”