Trump 57: Stealing Nuclear Documents And Pleading The Fifth

[Xan]

This was an interesting article by Thom Hartmann about what happens when a narcissistic ego like Trump's collapses.  It's in the Milwaukee Independent today.

Quote

In President Biden‘s speech on September 1, he spoke tough truths that had to be said out-loud. This country is under attack from within. And the attack is led by a madman. Donald Trump may be about to throw America into a crisis that could make January 6th look like a romp in the park. It has to do with something called “narcissistic collapse.”

Trump is a classic extroverted, grandiose narcissist of such severity that numerous professionals in the psychology field have pointed out how he could easily be diagnosed as suffering severe Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).

Narcissists of this type are often at the top of their fields, driven to over-achievement by a deep underlying sense of inferiority and shame. In Trump’s case, this probably came from his having a criminal psychopath as a father and a mother who so disliked him that she sent him off to military school at a young age and went, alone, to Scotland during the summers when he was home from school in New York.

He grew up filled with shame, lying and cheating to “win” the love and approval of others, stealing from his family and people he did business with to physically build around himself the trappings of success.

NBC taught him how to do television and turned him into a star, and he leveraged that into politics where he gets constant daily affirmation from people often damaged the same way he is. On the outside, he seems rich, powerful, and successful.

Deep down inside, though, he knows he is a failure. He had failed at school; he failed repeatedly at business; he failed at marriage; he pissed away the entirety of the more than $400 million he stole from his father’s estate and still had to be bailed out by the Russians; he had even failed at being a child loved by his parents and siblings.

His narcissism is his defense against this history of failure and the inevitable shame associated with a lifetime of it. And his narcissism is of the most severe variety — the grandiose form — where he makes grand claims to the effect of, “I, alone, can fix it,” and, “I could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and my people would still love me and vote for me.”

This is the behavior of criminals and mobsters: in his father and Roy Cohn — both mobsters and narcissists themselves — he learned from the best.

When narcissists are publicly outed as failures, particularly if the outing is public and high-profile, it often provokes a condition called narcissistic collapse.

For a narcissist like Trump with considerable power, the ability to harm organizations/institutions, or who can meaningfully threaten damage to other people, this is the moment of maximum danger for those around him.

Hitler, another classic narcissist with a similarly unloved and miserable childhood, confronted his failures in the last weeks of World War II. In the movie Downfall, which portrays Hitler’s final days, you can see and hear him disintegrate.

My dear departed friend Armin Lehman was the 15-year-old Hitler Youth soldier portrayed in the film who handed Hitler the news the war was lost. He wrote a book about his experience, In Hitler’s Bunker: A Boy Soldier’s Eyewitness Account of the Fuhrer’s Last Days, which we discussed extensively when he was first writing it and during the three years Armin and I traveled the world together, mostly across the US, Europe, and the Far East.

Hitler, in those final weeks — Armin told me and the historical record verifies — actually welcomed the destruction of Germany by American and Soviet bombs and tanks.

He had not failed: his narcissism would not let him confront that.

Instead, in his mind, the German people had failed, his generals had failed, his soldiers had failed. They had failed Germany, but, more importantly they had failed him — and he wanted them punished for failing him.

When he was finally pushed into full-blown narcissistic collapse — the final days that Armin spent with him — he succumbed to the fate of many severe narcissists who experience a failure so undeniable that it provokes full-blown narcissistic collapse: he killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself.

In the final stages of narcissistic collapse, long before suicide becomes an option, first comes the blaming and the attempt to punish others.

We see this now with Trump blaming the FBI, the courts, and his “political enemies” in the “deep state.” Along with the blame, though, often comes a murderous rage.

Americans are most familiar with this dynamic/process through stories of long-suffering wives of narcissist husbands who finally proclaim their intention to leave him. In a rage, the narcissist kills her, often followed by his own suicide. Sometimes he will even kill their children as part of his narcissistic breakdown.

This is the danger America faces today, because Trump’s businesses are in crisis just as he is increasingly exposed as a thief, liar, and traitor to his nation. His business manager is probably going to prison. His lawyer turned on him. His wife lives a mostly separate life.

His elaborate façade of competence and invulnerability is being punctured and shattered in real time for the world to see, and he has already moved from denial to the early stages of lashing out and making threats.

Most recently, he threatened the Department of Justice with the “anger” of his followers, a claim amplified by his Congressional factotum, Lindsay Graham, who then predicted that white supremacists would “riot” in the streets if Trump were indicted for his crimes.

It is a prediction we should take seriously, in no small part because many of Trump’s most loyal followers are narcissists themselves, which is why they resort to wrapping themselves with Trump paraphernalia to build their own “tough” identity through association with him. Strapping on a few big guns helps them feel strong, too.

Just like the key to his sense of self is others’ perception of his wealth and success, the key to their sense of self is their fealty to Trump. And their belief that he reciprocates it.

But he doesn’t, and when a person’s sense of self — their core identity — is threatened, they often react as if their very life is at stake.

When Trump’s mythos collapses, when Trump himself collapses, many of his most fervent followers will also suffer narcissistic collapse. When that happens — and there’s a reasonable chance it will happen — all bets are off.

Right now the odds are that Trump and his fragile ego will maintain his narcissistic façade intact through much or most of the coming times. He will bluster his way through court proceedings and media inquiries, proclaim his victimhood as he has charged with crimes, and up the rate of rallies he is doing so his followers can keep massaging his wounded self-esteem and make him feel loved.

But at some point — probably, depending on how this all plays out, when or if he is charged with a crime — he will confront the inevitable truth that he is a fraud and a failure, and has been one his entire life. A fraud and failure who sold out his own nation just for money, power, and glory. Who not only committed treason, but has now lost the entire game.

That will be his Fuhrerbunker moment, his abused-wife-is-leaving moment, his Jim Jones-in-the-jungle moment, when he will fully turn on America and lash out, trying to destroy whatever he can in and of this nation.

That is when he will call his people to murderous violence.

That is when stochastic terrorism could rear its ugly head in a widespread way across the country, with “lone wolf” murderers picking off perceived “Trump enemies.”

That is when the “civil war” — violent attacks on politicians; Democratic and “disloyal Republican” celebrities; and authority-figure government employees like police, judges, and members of the FBI — predicted and fretted about by so many, will be closest.

I will leave it to actual professionals in the fields of psychology and psychiatry to tell us how best to deal with — or even head off — this possible eventuality.

From my perspective, it seems the best thing would be to incarcerate him as quickly as possible to minimize the damage he can do, allowing his narcissistic followers to retreat into the fantasy that he is merely a martyr. It might buy some time.

But I cannot claim to have the answers; I just know the history. And I know that we should have a conversation about this — and hopefully those within our government are doing that right now — as part of our national dialogue about recovering from the damage inflicted on America by Trump and his MAGA Republicans over the past six years.

 

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

I don’t need financing. “I’m really rich!” 
 

It’s been reported that Truth Social owes a million or more to its server. Trump owes attorney fees to many attorneys. The RNC is upset that he has been keeping all the money that is supposed to help other candidates. He still owes many cities for rallies held. Credible banks stopped loaning to him years ago. 

Setting aside everything after the first sentence, his beloved platform is in trouble. If he is so rich and doesn’t need financing, why isn’t he saving it by paying the bills? He could write a check and make it all better. Easy peasy. 
 

I keep thinking of the documentary “Grey Gardens”. Big Edie and Little Edie seemed to be in this strange mix of denial and acceptance with (more Little Edie than Big Edie) sparks of happiness. Trump seems heavy on the denial but I think he also has a bit of reality where he knows his circus act no longer impresses anyone except the people who get their tickets free. He’s like the Edies when they see Grey Gardens as still glamorous but every once in awhile they realize how decrepit it has become. 

[Dandruff]

2 hours ago, AlmostSavedAtTacoBell said:

Setting aside everything after the first sentence, his beloved platform is in trouble. If he is so rich and doesn’t need financing, why isn’t he saving it by paying the bills? He could write a check and make it all better. Easy peasy.

The followers sending him money should be asking this question. 

I believe the feds should also be taking a really close look at his money, and its trail, under the circumstances and all.

[Xan]

Trump has been speaking in Pennsylvania.  My god, the man is crazy.  He said that "that weirdo" Zuckerberg came to the White House last week to "kiss my ass".  Last week?  "Two years ago we had greatness like no one had ever seen -- and soon we will have that greatness again."  He actually brought up Hillary again and the crowd started chanting "Lock her up".  The lunacy is overwhelming.  "We are Americans and we kneel to God and God alone."  Really playing to the religious right.  He says that the current president is "cognitively impaired".  Fake news is "truly the enemy of the people".  He wants the death penalty for drug dealers.  He said that the FBI searched Barron's room.  On electric cars -- story of imaginary friend who tried one but had to stop every two hours to charge the car.  Says that gas was under $2.00 a gallon when Donny was president.  

I have to stop watching.  He's making me want to stick a fork in my ear so I don't have to hear his voice.

[Audrey2]

1 hour ago, Xan said:

I have to stop watching.  He's making me want to stick a fork in my ear so I don't have to hear his voice.

He does have that effect on people.

[Ozlsn]

12 hours ago, Xan said:

Americans are most familiar with this dynamic/process through stories of long-suffering wives of narcissist husbands who finally proclaim their intention to leave him. In a rage, the narcissist kills her, often followed by his own suicide. Sometimes he will even kill their children as part of his narcissistic breakdown.

I sincerely hope that Barron and any grandchildren are kept away from him. Actually I hope he is arrested and not bailed soon. 

12 hours ago, Xan said:

From my perspective, it seems the best thing would be to incarcerate him as quickly as possible to minimize the damage he can do, allowing his narcissistic followers to retreat into the fantasy that he is merely a martyr. It might buy some time.

Agreed. Just the documents being at Mar-a-Lago and the false declarations should be enough to hold him. 

[Smash!]

8 hours ago, Xan said:

He wants the death penalty for drug dealers. 

This sounds like the Drug war in the Philippines by then President Rodrigo Duterte that led to the killings of innocent people.

Oh I hope the Orange Menace will rot in Jail in the future.

[Cults-r-us]

On 9/2/2022 at 12:20 PM, Howl said:

They'll claim that this is how Trump declassified documents.  Does each empty folder have a unique identifier for what it contained or does it just indicate that the materials are classified? 

I don't think they did because I read they were re-usable.

[Cults-r-us]

On 9/2/2022 at 6:09 PM, Howl said:

I suspect that über scumbag Bill Barr is in self preservation mode -- creating JUUUUUST enough distance from the pending train wreck to be safe. 

Yes, he's still in reputation repair mode. Does he think no one watched him trying to turn democracy on it's heels and shield Trump from accountability for his crimes? They didn't refer to Bill Barr as Trump's Roy Cohn for nothing.

[Cults-r-us]

19 hours ago, Jana814 said:

Trump is an ass plan & simple. It bothers me that he & his followers think he’s is the greatest president ever!  

Yes, they seem to be everywhere. I find those hats and banners that say: "Trump 2024 The Revenge Tour" disturbing.

[libgirl2]

17 minutes ago, Cults-r-us said:

Yes, they seem to be everywhere. I find those hats and banners that say: "Trump 2024 The Revenge Tour" disturbing.

The first time I saw that, while on vacation a couple of months ago, I was deeply disturbed by that. Revenge? Is he going to wrestle someone? All jokes aside, just what are his nutjob followers going to do? 

[Howl]

19 hours ago, Xan said:

This was an interesting article by Thom Hartmann about what happens when a narcissistic ego like Trump's collapses.

Thanks for this. It's fascinating and I had no idea that a boy who witnessed Hitler's last days had written a book about this. 

But this article presupposes that Trump will be charged with...something...by someone:  DoJ, state of New York, IRS.   It's not happening.  Mueller found obstruction of justice wrapped up with a bow, the the Stormy Daniels thing, The new Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg decided not to indict Trump for inflating property values for some purposes and deflating them for tax purposes. 

Trump is a one-man crime wave for decades and yet...nothing.  I have zero confidence in Garland, because NOTHING has happened to Trump. Nothing. 

 Glenn Kirschner lays it out here: 

Edited September 4, 2022 by Howl

[Dandruff]

14 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

The first time I saw that, while on vacation a couple of months ago, I was deeply disturbed by that. Revenge? Is he going to wrestle someone? All jokes aside, just what are his nutjob followers going to do? 

Seems their aggression is being stoked, lacking any other useful attribute to work with, or any reasonable expectation of support if/when they're caught doing bad things.  They're sources of free, available, negative energy, given enough of a push.  What does he have to lose at this point?

[Howl]

Right now I'm in an extremely conservative county in SW Colorado -- Lauren Boebert country.  I'm seeing a Trump sign here and there, some left over from 2020, but not a lot.  

Have to edit.  I noticed a little coffee shop on Main Street called Conservative Grounds.  Hmmmm.  So I just checked it out online.  The website link goes to the Republican Women's facebook page.  whooboy.  So. Much. Crazy. 

On Sept. 8, the speaker will be PatriotAmy.com via zoom.  The Patriot Amy website is behind the usual wing nuts like Mike Lindell, Sydney Powell, Tina Peters.  Last month, the speaker was Joe Oltman discussing something based on The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate, A Biblical Plan to save Our Country Without Violence.  Easy to see these folks are deep, way deep, into the Big Steal. 

ETA: I just scrolled down a bit further on their facebook page.  For real, they had Tina Peters as their May speaker.  This was after Tina Peters was indicted on multiple felonies and misdemeanors in March: "The felony charges include attempting to influence a public servant, identity theft, criminal impersonation and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation. The misdemeanors include first degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failure to comply with the requirements of the Secretary of State."   Mesa Clerk Tina Peters charged in election security breach

I think "Conservative Grounds" may be some kind of movement to open up coffee shops where conservatives can meet and shit on liberals.

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by Howl

[Xan]

19 minutes ago, Howl said:

But this article presupposes that Trump will be charged with...something...by someone:  DoJ or the state of New York.  It's not happening.  Mueller found obstruction of justice wrapped up with a bow, the the Stormy Daniels thing, Trump is a one-man crime wave and yet...nothing. 

I agree.  And I have been alarmed that he's done so much that's obviously criminal and nothing happens.  Time after time, people back away.  At first, I thought it was just fear of inciting a civil war with his crazy mobs.  Now I think it's something bigger.  There are entirely too many corporate heads, owners of media companies, moneyed interests in general who need for the Republicans to control the government.  I'm afraid that they're tying the DOJ's hands.  

The Republicans would love for Donny to step away and let his clone DeSantis run for president.  That way they could get the stench of Donald off the party but keep control.  I just don't think Trump will ever let go.

[libgirl2]

26 minutes ago, Xan said:

I agree.  And I have been alarmed that he's done so much that's obviously criminal and nothing happens.  Time after time, people back away.  At first, I thought it was just fear of inciting a civil war with his crazy mobs.  Now I think it's something bigger.  There are entirely too many corporate heads, owners of media companies, moneyed interests in general who need for the Republicans to control the government.  I'm afraid that they're tying the DOJ's hands.  

The Republicans would love for Donny to step away and let his clone DeSantis run for president.  That way they could get the stench of Donald off the party but keep control.  I just don't think Trump will ever let go.

No he won't and his fanatic followers won't either 

[Howl]

I have zero fear of MAGAts rising up.  Yes, they are making all kinds of threats, but they are also watching Jan 6 rioters being sentenced to prison or even dying and realize that it's easier to be a keyboard warrior or indulge in warrior cosplay at gay pride events, but know that they do NOT want to go to jail or prison.  As time goes on and the people charged with sedition are sentenced to long prison terms, it will be even more of a deterrent. 

Stochastic terrorism is a real problem, because it can activate the unstable or mentally ill person, lone wolf,  to do some serious damage or murder/assassinate someone. 

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

I have zero fear of MAGAts rising up.  Yes, they are making all kinds of threats, but they are also watching Jan 6 rioters being sentenced to prison or even dying and realize that it's easier to be a keyboard warrior or indulge in warrior cosplay at gay pride events, but know that they do NOT want to go to jail or prison.  As time goes on and the people charged with sedition are sentenced to long prison terms, it will be even more of a deterrent. 

Stochastic terrorism is a real problem, because it can activate the unstable or mentally ill person, lone wolf,  to do some serious damage or murder/assassinate someone. 

I really hope they don't but some of these sentences are nothing. 

[GreyhoundFan]

5 hours ago, Xan said:

The Republicans would love for Donny to step away and let his clone DeSantis run for president.  That way they could get the stench of Donald off the party but keep control.  I just don't think Trump will ever let go.

The only way TFG will let go is if he’s six feet under. Can you imagine the conspiracy theories junior and the BTs will stoke?  They’ll say the Dems killed him. And then he’ll be a MAGAt martyr. 

[AnywhereButHere]

8 hours ago, Cults-r-us said:

Yes, they seem to be everywhere. I find those hats and banners that say: "Trump 2024 The Revenge Tour" disturbing.

I just saw a picture a childhood friend posted on Facebook of her kids and I think her father. He’s in the middle with the Superman shirt with the kids flanking him in the white ones. It’s disturbing, and the Superman one is definitely something… 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by AnywhereButHere

[Dandruff]

7 hours ago, Xan said:

Time after time, people back away.  At first, I thought it was just fear of inciting a civil war with his crazy mobs.  Now I think it's something bigger.  There are entirely too many corporate heads, owners of media companies, moneyed interests in general who need for the Republicans to control the government.  I'm afraid that they're tying the DOJ's hands.

I imagine it as a game of doublespeak and chickenshit:  The corporate types tell their political cronies that someone will deal with Trump but it doesn't have to be them.  The cronies don't want it to be them either, and appreciate the benefits of their corporate relationships, so they - individually and collectively - go mute.  Meanwhile, the money maneuvers for the likeliest candidate who can pull a win for them in 2024.

 

[47of74]

Fuck Face said yesterday that he met with Mark Fuckerberg last week in the White House.

Quote

Former President Donald Trump said at a Saturday rally that Meta executive Mark Zuckerberg joined him for dinner at the White House "last week," despite having been out of office for more than a year and a half. 

At a Pennsylvania rally supporting senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, the first since the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump briefly fixated on the chief executive of Facebook's parent company.

"Last week, the weirdo — he's a weirdo — Mark Zuckerberg came to the White House, kissed my ass all night," Trump said during the speech, going on to mimic their alleged conversation: "'Sir, I'd love to have dinner, sir. I'd love to have dinner. I'd love to bring my lovely wife.' All right, Mark, come on in. 'Sir, you're number one on Facebook. I'd like to congratulate you.' Thank you very much, Mark. I appreciate it."

Trump has previously made similar comments about Zuckerberg. Last year, following his suspension from Facebook, he said the executive "used to come to the White House to kiss [his] ass" and called Zuckerberg "sick" for deplatforming him. 

Someone should have asked Fuck Face if Fuckerberg had tears in his eyes when he said Fuck Face was number one on Facebook. 

I hope if it's some sort of game like some mobsters used to play to convince the law to leave them alone the DOJ, FBI, courts, etc see through that right away.

[fraurosena]

2 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Mark Zuckerberg joined him for dinner at the White House "last week," despite having been out of office for more than a year and a half. 

Who was in cognitive decline again?

[47of74]

10 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Who was in cognitive decline again?

No shit. Of course the reich wingers will be projecting all this on to President Biden.  Or any other Democrat even if he or she was only 35 years old. (Minimum age to hold the office). 

[fraurosena]

Rubio was Chair of the Inteligence Committee and this maga fascist knows better.