I probably won’t be around to see it, but I’m fascinated by how the era of Donald Trump and his impact on American politics will be portrayed. IF, in time he is seen as the sociopath who would be President, then the real emphasis must fall on those who enabled him. Trump is who he is. He’s remarkably consistent at that because he used the same defense mechanisms repeatedly. He projects, denies, and rationalizes with unabashed frequency.
It is not I who am lying, it’s you. I did not lose the election, my opponent did. I am not racist, you are. Ad nauseam. As a noted psychologist put it, “It is easier for him to lie than to tell the truth.” He checks all the sociopath boxes. He is who he is.
So, the question now turns to his supporters. It’s fairly to see where his base is coming from. He speaks truth to what they consider the real harmful perceived power in their lives. He does so without shame or accountability. He oversimplifies issues and that plays well with the uneducated. He is their hero despite the contradictions that his racism, sexism, and duplicity convey.
That leaves the supporters of his that know better. These folks are the ones that interest me the most. They have surrendered their honesty and integrity completely. Their fear of losing an election gets in the way of any sense of ethics they may have previously had. They tremble quietly in fear, save a few Republicans who have ambitions in what remains of the party he ransacked.
What will history say of these folks?
In the next year some of Trump’s outrageous actions may come before a jury. A jury of his peers would mean a panel of sociopaths. Wouldn’t it?
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