Trump Trauma

Republicans Need to Replace Trump’s Adolescent Behavior

Who needs a scolding and a time-out?

Trump isn’t a good representative of a respectable Republican party. His bad influence is remaking Republican’s image on the debate stage and in the 118th Congress.

The last 2024 Republican Presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library denigrates the President the venue is named for. President Reagan would be appalled by the behavior and discourse of these candidates and some House members.

Matt Gaetz (R-FL), worked with Bannon for weeks in planning House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s overthrow. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA) has suggested a national divorce with red states separating from blue. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville has held up military confirmations for months.

The list of prominent Republicans who oppose Donald Trump — including former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney is impressive. The centrist Republican PAC The Lincoln Project no longer sounds extreme.

Fiscal responsibility and limited government interference are things most Americans can agree on. Trump has been a polarizing figure in politics and does not represent most American’s values. The situation is similar to an abused spouse. We’ve become inured to how badly he has previously — and will continue to — behave.

Social Conditioning

Those who are die-hard Trump fanatics have much in common with the prisoners of war (POWs) who are the subjects of mind control. The Behavior Control Scale (BCS) was developed by psychologist Albert Bandura and lists 18 different characteristics including gaslighting, attention disruption, and controlling the environment. This led to Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) which posits learned social behavior is based on other’s views and actions.

Bandura’s famous BOBO Doll Experiment demonstrated learned aggressive behavior based on imitation. This can be applied to Trump’s base followers and Republican Representatives who see one another modeling unusual behavior and taking it to extremes.

Extreme MAGAs who are disaffected and suffering, feeling as though they have few opportunities to get ahead because of society or the Government’s influence are particularly susceptible to Trump’s odd charisma.

Ex-President Trump is getting his favorite gift — attention. Donald Trump is facing nearly a hundred civil and criminal complaints, multiple indictments, and numerous lawsuits. Despite his assertions to the contrary, investigations began long before he announced his candidacy for the 2024 Presidential Election. He’s taking advantage of each appearance and opportunity to lambast the DOJ, Democrats, and those involved in investigating and prosecuting his misdeeds.

There are parallels between his behavior and rebellious adolescents.

Trump describes prosecutors and judges as “deranged.” My brother and I called our parents crazy.

False statements and due diligence

Trump appeared in New York court on October 2, 2023, related to financial fraud in over-estimating the value of his real estate for bank loans and under-valuing them on tax returns. He continues to mock, insult, and target his perceived enemies. His remarks to reporters ahead of opening statements apply to himself as well as his financials —

“We have a clause in the contract it’s like a buyer beware cause it says when you take a look at the financial statement don’t believe anything you read, this is upfront — don’t believe anything you read, some people call it a worthless clause because it makes the statement and anything you read in the statement worthless. It says go out and do your own research, yeah, go out and do your own due diligence you have to study the statement carefully. Do not believe anything. In fact, it’s so strong that people read it and they don’t even accept it — they don’t even want, I don’t even use it it’s called a disclaimer clause — it’s very common. If you put it in if you don’t have time to do statements or even if you do have time, people like to have it. This is what’s called a Full Disclaimer — we disclaim the financial statement. But even with a full disclaimer which immediately takes you out of any fraud situation and any litigation…”

This was followed with blah blah attorney general is awful, witch hunt, I’m the victim and they’re coming after you so celebrate me — the billionaire whose assets are worth between 50 and 100 times what I claimed, because I’m saintly. See me martyr myself for you America so the corrupt DOJ doesn’t throw you in jail for absolutely nothing. It’s bound to happen when I make America over in my image and all y’all are winning so much again and have become gazillionaires while doing absolutely nothing wrong.

Despite being told not to target witnesses, judges, or prosecutors, The Donald goes on to say, “This is a disgrace and you have to go after this attorney general…” blah blah businesses leaving New York because of horrible, horrible AG and judges. According to Trump, the Black woman is racist and is simply fixated on him because of an elaborate witch hunt and the ambitious election interference of his own campaign.

At the bottom of a legal document signature page, is language like “To the best of my knowledge, statements are factual and reliable.”

Then you sign your name — which is supposed to mean something.

There’s a conspiracy theory based on a lie about the seal team who killed Bin Laden. It claims Biden had those Navy Seals killed to cover up the fact Bin Laden isn’t dead. The member of the Seal Team who reports he fired the fatal shot in his book has asked Trump to back off this story. The ex-president retweeted the false claims recently and was called out by a newscaster in an interview. “I didn’t say that — I just put the information out there for others to decide.”

What Trump communicates appears to be as trustworthy as his financial statements. A buyer beware and meaningless disclosure clause appear to be warranted.

Trump’s victimization and being a reliable adult

As Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

Telling lies, financial fraud, targeting perceived enemies, making up conspiracy theories, multiple crimes, slander, assault, and his various other misdeeds mount to a rap sheet no one man could easily track.

Almost all of the witnesses in Trump’s upcoming trials are people who were once loyal servants. His own Joint Chiefs Chair General Milley made a stirring farewell speech just days after Trump said he should be executed for treason after learning General Milley called to reassure his Chinese counterpart following the January 6 insurrection.

“We don’t take an oath to a king, or a queen, or to a tyrant or dictator, and we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator,” Milley said. “We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.

Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, guardian and Coast Guardsman, each of us commits our very life to protect and defend that document, regardless of personal price,” Milley continued. “And we are not easily intimidated.”

Like Dr. Fauci, General Milley now needs his own security.

There are Trump supporters who could lose their lives on martyr missions like Ricky Shiffer. Or, simply join the 1000+ people arrested over the January 6th riot.

And Trump thinks he’s the victim?

I know more about ____ than practically anyone

Trump has made the statements he turns to himself as an expert frequently. claiming he knows more about construction, climate change, COVID-19, finance, politics, lawsuits, and practically everything else he’s ever considered.

Yet he lost an election and broke countless laws to try to hold onto power. Lives were lost. He’s unable to extricate himself from this mess he’s found himself in.

Self-confidence is a necessary component but taken too far, it can lead to delusions of grandeur and be the downfall of egotists.

Really brilliant thinkers are usually not absolutists who are unyielding in their opinions. They recognize the limits of their knowledge and capacity to know everything and seek answers from experts in various fields.

Pretending or deluding oneself that they’re experts is usually the hallmark of those with personality disorders involving grandiosity.

Trump has been called a malignant narcissist by many mental health professionals and seems to fit the antisocial mold with multiple failed marriages, infidelity, and a drive for revenge.

Many who’ve worked closely with him report he’s not a very satisfied person no matter what he achieves.

Conclusion

When you tell the truth — even the ugly parts — you don’t have to worry about forgetting or future ramifications.

When we deceive we become untrustworthy narrators. This can be used in a clever whodunnit tale with twists and turns, but in a Presidential election, it’s exhausting and demoralizing.

As adults, we tend to accept other adult’s statements as honest facts. Being deceived on a regular basis isn’t something we’re used to.

Many of my 40+ IT consulting clients had CEOs, Presidents, and others in positions of power who regularly exploited workers, pushed past morality, and would say or do practically anything to get ahead or avoid negative consequences.

As a project manager for a big tech company, I saw this from both sides. Having a heavy influence on what company and technology would be chosen for various projects, people occasionally tried to influence my decisions with bribes or assistance. Tickets to sports games, vacations, and solutions to practically any problem mentioned were opportunities for people to gain favor.

In 2019, the top reason for top executive departures among the largest US companies was misconduct. Bribes, extortion, and corruption are easy traps to both fall victim to and wield with power.

The temptations and misconduct tend to get worse the higher up the corporate ladder you go. Not every leader is a self-aggrandizing narcissist, but many are incredibly ambitious competitors who believe they can skirt the rules most of us observe and obey.

When caught red-handed (hello Russia) grabbing something you’re not supposed to and inciting a riot to cover things up you should be man enough to face the consequences. As reasonable adults, we’re supposed to discern right from wrong and ask the offender to make amends, despite their protestations.

Parents do this on a regular basis in hopes their kids will learn and we won’t have to indulge ongoing bad behavior.

The next time you hear what may be a weak lie, picture a guilty 5-year-old with his hand in the cookie jar. When he tries to deny it, banish him to Mar-a-lago.

Big thanks to editor Ben Ulansey for great editing!

Thanks for reading.

Copyright © 2023 Patricia Jeanne

Not aimed at Trump or specific ideology, but seeks to help identify the what, why, and how behind why we accept conspiracy theories -

Difficulties in writing

Satire bound to make you laugh or feel disturbed —