Americans Agree That Trump Is a Liar. Do They Realize He Is Also a Sociopath?

[babylonsister]

http://prospect.org/article/americans-agree-trump-liar-do-they-realize-he-also-sociopath


Americans Agree That Trump Is a Liar. Do They Realize He Is Also a Sociopath?
Peter Dreier
October 20, 2017
Mainstream media have no problem calling out Trump’s falsehoods. But they need to do more.


snip//

Tony Schwartz, who worked closely with Trump as the ghostwriter for his best-selling book The Art of the Deal, has tweeted:

Link to tweet

The Washington Post has reported that billionaire Tom Barrack, Trump’s longtime friend and former business associate, was “shocked” and “stunned” by the president’s erratic behavior and inflammatory tweets. Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, a one-time Trump supporter, publicly suggested that his impulsive temperament is a threat to world peace.

Other Trump critics have used words like “unhinged” and “out of control” to describe the president’s mental health. Such an assessment might be easily ignored if they weren’t echoed by some of Trump’s closest supporters.

Until recently, mental health professionals adhered to the so-called “Goldwater rule” of refraining from diagnosing a public figure who isn’t their patient. But since Trump took office, a growing number of them have expressed their concerns about Trump’s psychological condition. One group has gone so far as to publish a book, “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President."

Americans have seen examples of Trump’s pathological narcissism throughout his presidency, especially during his recent trips to the visit hurricane’s victims in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. This is a man without an iota of compassion, much less an understanding that an important part of a president’s job is to comfort Americans during times of crisis.

Americans have been confronted with a president who lies out of habit; to score points; as a diversionary tactic; to cover up his misdeeds; and to hide his insecurities about his business acumen or his intellectual abilities. They recognize his mendacity. According to a Quinnipiac poll released in August, 62 percent of Americans said they think that Trump is "not honest," while 34 percent said he is honest.

If reporters begin describing Trump as a sociopath, his hard core followers will simply label the stories “fake news” and as evidence of the “liberal” media’s efforts to smear the president. But by using the word sociopath, the news media will be reminding Americans, particularly those Trump voters who may now have some degree of buyers’ remorse, that in addition to his failure to deliver on his campaign promises and his pathological lies, our president is also a deranged individual, a failure as a human being, and a danger to society.

[edhopper]

1. Many do

the ones who don't are in Congress.

[lark]

2. The ones in Congress have an agenda for him.

Pass tax cuts for themselves and their donors and then maybe they will cut him loose for Pence - unless we are blessed by Mueller having evidence of collusion for Drumpf, Pence, Ryan and McCionnell. Then we get Orrin Hatch - not a threat to the world, but still a repug and against doing the best for the most and giving everything to the rich.

[StevieM]

3. Unfortunately, I don't think they realize what a complete moron he is.

The fact that he is rich makes a lot of people think that he must be somewhat intelligent.