Seth D. Norrholm, Alan D. Blotcky & David M. Reiss

For most of his adult life and most especially during the past 5 years, Donald Trump has created a false self, a façade, a public facing veneer. He created an image of himself as a strong and successful businessman, a “stable genius,” and, most recently, as a “perfect physical specimen.” This false self has been propped up by a sycophantic inner circle, a complicit Congress, and a steady blockade made up of non-disclosure agreements, ignored subpoenas, a flouting of Presidential ethics and norms – as well as “mainstream media” that has ranged from intentionally to cluelessly complicit, reinforced by the increasing power of social media. The creation and maintenance of this façade has been fueled by a pathological narcissism that includes behaviors mental health professionals have described as “antisocial,” “sociopathic,” “psychopathic,” and “sadistic.”