Is Trump Just Plain Nuts?

[Lord Jim]

Is Donald Trump OK? Erratic behaviour raises mental health questions

As his behaviour grows more bizarre, more and more analysts are asking if there’s something off with the Republican candidate.

WASHINGTON—There is an elephant in the election.

It was tiptoed around for a full year by Republicans and Democrats and the media alike. And then, on Wednesday, Michael Bloomberg hoisted it onto the stage of the Democratic National Convention.

His plea for Hillary Clinton: “Let’s elect a sane, competent person.”

The compliment barely disguised an extraordinary allegation. The billionaire former mayor of New York City was suggesting that Donald Trump is not sane himself.

Bloomberg’s remark was a sign of a quiet shift over the last month in the mainstream discussion of the Republican presidential nominee. Once unmentionable, questions about Trump’s mental health have started to bubble into respectable American forums as he has inched closer to the nuclear codes of the world’s mightiest military while behaving stranger than ever.

It’s a delicate thing to ask, but the fate of humankind is at stake. Is Donald Trump … OK?

“Donald Trump is not of sound mind,” conservative Stephen Hayes wrote two weeks ago in the Weekly Standard.

“Have we stopped to appreciate how crazy Donald Trump has gotten recently?” liberal Ezra Klein wrote last week on Vox.

He “appears haunted by multiple personality disorders,” conservative David Brooks wrote last week in the New York Times.

“We can gloss over it, laugh about it, analyze it, but Donald Trump is not a well man,” Stuart Stevens, chief strategist to Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign, wrote last week on Twitter.

Stevens, the most prominent political figure to persistently broach the subject, conceded that he is “no doctor or psychiatrist.” But he said in an interview that the available evidence leads to two possible conclusions: either Trump has a substance abuse problem, which appears unlikely, or “there is something definitely off about him.”

“At best, this is a very damaged person,” Stevens said. “And there’s probably something more serious going on.”

Trump’s campaign vehemently disagrees.

“I’m sure you saw Mr. Trump’s medical report released in December of last year, which described him as perhaps the healthiest individual to ever be elected President (paraphrasing) — I refer you to that,” spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in an email.

But that brief report explicitly addressed only physical matters like blood pressure, not mental health. And its extreme grandiosity, unprecedented in a campaign medical report, was precisely the kind of eyebrower-raiser that has caused apprehension about his stability.

He boasts of his own unparalleled magnificence. He creates and promotes wild conspiracy theories. He tells easily disprovable lies. He fails to finish sentences before he gets distracted by unrelated thoughts. He appears to fly into a wounded rage at mild criticism.

His conduct this summer has been even more erratic than his conduct before. At a rally early last month, Trump became distracted and then angered by a mosquito. At a rally on Thursday, he ranted about his desire to “hit” Bloomberg. When a fire marshal stopped letting people into a rally on Friday, Trump baselessly accused him of being a Clinton agent.

“Trump is crazy. And you can’t fix crazy,” Kevin Sheekey, a Bloomberg adviser, told The New York Times on Thursday.

The armchair pathologizing, and breezy use of the C-word, has upset disabled people and their advocates. David Perry, a disability rights journalist, said that “the casual association of behaviour we find objectionable or erratic with mental illness spreads stigma.”

“He’s a liar, he’s a bigot, he makes bad decisions, he’s erratic and unpredictable. That’s what we need to know. Do we need to then extend a diagnosis to go along with that, to make it really objectionable?” Perry said.

“It hasn’t really worked in eroding Trump’s popularity, but it certainly makes people who actually have these conditions feel very uncomfortable — feel that the message is: ‘If you have a mental health condition, you are not fit to be president.’ And frankly, I suspect we’ve had lots of presidents with mental health conditions, and we’ll probably have lots more.”

Abraham Lincoln lived with depression. Each of Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy took a cocktail of anxiety medication. Aides to Lyndon B. Johnson, who experienced severe mood swings, were so concerned about his mental state that they consulted psychiatrists.

U.S. psychiatrists are now prohibited by their professional association from publicly assessing public figures. The most common amateur diagnosis of Trump is narcissistic personality disorder, a condition characterized by an “inflated sense of their own importance,” “a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others,” and “a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism,” the Mayo Clinic said.

Dan McAdams, a psychology professor at Northwestern University, would not diagnose Trump with any ailment, and he said most people running for high office must have a “healthy dose” of narcissism. But he added: “It does seem to be the case that he’s kind of off the map.”

“Putting his name on everything, talking about himself all the time: this is beyond the pale,” said McAdams, who conducted a detailed personality assessment of Trump for the Atlantic. “I don’t want to argue that it’s a clinical condition … but if there’s a continuum, in terms of narcissistic personality characteristics within a relatively normal population, he’s really way off on the extreme end.”

Scott Lilienfeld, a psychology professor at Emory University, co-conducted a study of narcissism in the 42 presidents up to George W. Bush. High levels of the grandiose variety of narcissism, he found, have been associated with superior crisis management, public persuasiveness and overall success — but also with abuse of power, ethics scandals and impeachment resolutions.

It’s the Goldilocks principle: there appears to be a presidential “sweet spot,” Lilienfeld said, between helpful narcissism and damaging narcissism. While he would not specifically discuss Trump other than to say he is almost certainly sane — “I don’t think he’s out of touch with reality, I think he knows what he’s doing, he probably doesn’t hear voices or have delusional thinking” — he suggested that voters ask themselves a question.

“Is this individual’s narcissism so high that it might be at the upper end of the curve where it’s no longer just healthy self-confidence, which is probably good to some degree, or is it at the point where it could really cause problems?”

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016 ... tions.html

[RayThom]

Is Trump Just Plain Nuts? YES!

And I'm constantly on the record highlighting his psychotic episodes. I'll say it again, Drumpf is so unstable that I truly believe he's not going to make it to the finish line.

"Yes, Donald, you could have been president of the United States, now step this way and we'll tuck you in for the night."

[oldr_n_wsr]

I'll say it again, Drumpf is so unstable that I truly believe he's not going to make it to the finish line.

I'm starting to think this way also.
Especially with him starting the "this thing is rigged". I think he'll end up calling it quits then blame the system on how it would keep him from being elected anyway so why bother.

[Big RR]

That would be interesting--what would/could the repubs if he quit in late September/October? Run someone else? Try to delay the election (and I am not certain, but I doubt this could be done Constitutionally)? run with him still on the ballot and declare the VP candidate the winner if Trump won? I think the guy is a loose cannon (always has been IMHO) so nothing he does would shock me.

[Lord Jim]

Here’s What Happens If Trump Decides to Quit

If there is one thing Donald Trump hates, it’s a L-O-S-E-R.

As the firestorm over the testy billionaire’s harsh comments about the Gold Star parents of an Army captain killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq refuses to die down; as fat-cat donors shun him; and as the candidate himself begins rolling out the notion that the election will be rigged, a reasonable question to ask is: Will Trump fire himself?

Sure, it’s only August, and the trench warfare for the presidency traditionally doesn’t even begin until after Labor Day, but this time – as has been said ad nauseam – is different.

Just look at Trump’s towering problems:

His overreaction to a speech at the Democratic National Convention by the father of Captain Humayun Khan – denouncing Trump for his plans to ban entry to the U.S. by Muslims from certain countries and for sacrificing nothing for his country – has led prominent fellow Republicans to record their outrage.

Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham were especially critical, a GOP congressman from New York said he would vote for Hillary Clinton, and a well-regarded political strategist said she was leaving the party until it regains its senses. Yesterday the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) issued a statement saying it is appalled by Trump’s treatment of Khizr Khan and his wife Ghazala Khan.

The GOP’s biggest moneybags, Charles and David Koch, who once pledged to spend $800 million on this election, are treating Trump like a skunk at one of the lavish gatherings they hold for their network of the richest Republican donors. At the latest one in Colorado Springs on Sunday, with 400 donors in attendance, Charles Koch again refused to back Trump despite pressure from fellow billionaires; Koch reportedly convinced others to reverse course and withdraw their support.

Estimates of Hillary Clinton’s post-convention bounce range from 3 points to 13 points, and the data gurus at the website FiveThirtyEight now put her chance of winning the presidency at 66.1 percent vs. Trump’s 33.9 percent.

At a rally in Ohio on Monday, Trump told supporters that he is hearing “more and more” that the fix is in for the election in November. And he told Fox commentator Sean Hannity, "I hope the Republicans are watching closely or it’s going to be taken away from us.”[Well gee Donald, you don't want to be the victim a rigged process do you? If the fix is in it would be better for you to get out now.]

After railing to his angry audiences about a “rigged system” over the past year and always referring to his rival as “Crooked Hillary,” that seems like a logical progression – and also a convenient out should he decide he would rather end his candidacy than participate in a contest that he maintains won’t be fair.

So what would happen if Trump packed it in and went back to his tower on Fifth Avenue to plot his next reality TV show and tweet venom into the long night of his discontent?

According to Rule 9 – Filling Vacancies in Nominations” -- of the Rules of the Party on the GOP website:

“(a) The Republican National Committee is hereby authorized and empowered to fill any and all vacancies which may occur by reason of death, declination, or otherwise [ "otherwise" covers a lot of ground...the RNC could basically come up with any reason it wanted to remove him] of the Republican candidate for President of the United States…as nominated by the national convention, or the Republican National Committee may reconvene the national convention for the purpose of filling any such vacancies.

“(b) In voting under this rule, the Republican National Committee members representing any state shall be entitled to cast the same number of votes as said state was entitled to cast at the national convention.

“(c) In the event that the members of the Republican National Committee from any state shall not be in agreement in the casting of votes hereunder, the votes of such state shall be divided equally, including fractional votes, among the members of the Republican National Committee present or voting by proxy.

“(d) No candidate shall be chosen to fill any such vacancy except upon receiving a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the election.”

In other words, the GOP could convene another convention (unlikely), or it could ask state delegates to vote again.

What’s unclear is whether delegates choosing a Trump replacement would be bound to any of the primary candidates. It is also unclear how a replacement would be nominated.

But if Trump pulled the plug on his candidacy, it’s a sure bet there would be a rush to make House Speaker Paul Ryan the new GOP nominee for five reasons:

He would attract all the donor money that Trump can’t.
He’s done this before as Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential running mate.
He has a clear agenda – his “Better Way”—already in place.
He is young, articulate, honest, telegenic and untainted by scandal.
Most important, he could actually win.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016 ... tions.html

Yeah, it's probably grasping at straws to think that Drumpf might either quit the race or be removed by the RNC, but when all you have are straws, that's what you grasp for...

[Lord Jim]

Priebus furious at Trump for not endorsing Ryan: report

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is furious with Donald Trump's refusal to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan or Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), NBC News reported.

Priebus is “apoplectic” over Trump’s remarks and called campaign chairman Paul Manafort and other top staffers to voice his “extreme displeasure,” NBC reported, citing a source in the GOP.

Trump said in an interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday that he is "not quite there yet" in terms of endorsing Ryan. The terminology echoed what Ryan said of Trump in May, before the Speaker relented and endorsed Trump for president.

He also tweeted praise of Ryan’s primary opponent on Monday.

Priebus and Ryan have deep connections going back to their days in Wisconsin state politics.

Trump also sharply criticized McCain, who is facing a tough primary challenge, as well as Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), who is in a tight general election battle.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/pre ... c-at-trump

[Big RR]

Jim--so it appears the RNC could nominate someone else, but what if it were too late to change the ballots--they were printed with Trump's name?

[Lord Jim]

Jim--so it appears the RNC could nominate someone else, but what if it were too late to change the ballots--they were printed with Trump's name?

I don't know what would happen then Big RR...I doubt anyone can say with certainty...

We'd be in completely uncharted waters...

It's additionally complicated by the fact that it's not one election process, it's 51 election processes, with each state and DC having their own election and ballot laws....

And another complication is that even though names appear on the ballots, voters don't really vote for the candidates, they vote for slates of electors....

One thing's for sure; it would ultimately wind up with the SC resolving it....

[Lord Jim]

Report: Trump Kept Asking During Foreign Policy Briefing Why He Can’t Just Use Nukes

According to a report from MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump asked a foreign policy advisor three times during a briefing why he couldn’t just use nuclear weapons to solve the nation’s problems.

Scarborough shared the anecdote on Morning Joe Wednesday, speaking deliberately to avoid naming his source. “I’ll be very careful here. Several months ago, a foreign policy expert on international level went to advise Donald Trump.”

“Three times he asked about the use of nuclear weapons. Three times he asked, at one point, ‘If we have them, why can’t we use them?'”

“That’s one of the reasons why he just doesn’t have foreign policy experts around him,” Scarborough concluded. “Three times, in an hour briefing, ‘Why can’t we use nuclear weapons?'”

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/report-trump ... use-nukes/

[BoSoxGal]

Oh THANK GOD the Republicans are starting to see him for what he is - TOTALLY FUCKING NUTS!

UNFIT TO SERVE!

I'd vote for a ham sandwich over CHUMP!

[Big RR]

Jim--so it appears the RNC could nominate someone else, but what if it were too late to change the ballots--they were printed with Trump's name?

I don't know what would happen then Big RR...I doubt anyone can say with certainty...

We'd be in completely uncharted waters...

It's additionally complicated by the fact that it's not one election process, it's 51 election processes, with each state and DC having their own election and ballot laws....

And another complication is that even though names appear on the ballots, voters don't really vote for the candidates, they vote for slates of electors....

One thing's for sure; it would ultimately wind up with the SC resolving it....

I agree. Frankly, given the number of presidential elections we have had, I'm surprised we have never had something like this (or a candidate dying or being disabled by an accident or sickness) happening. About the closest we came (that I have heard of) was when the FDR camp talked about cancelling/postponing the 1944 election, but it never got too far beyond the talking stage (and is not all that well documented as I recall).

[Lord Jim]

I'd vote for a ham sandwich over CHUMP!

I'd vote for shit sandwich over Trump....

[Burning Petard]

The name on the printed ballots is not the point (except, sort of, in Nebraska and Maine.) You are really voting for a slate of electors. But it does raise some exciting possibilities.

snailgate

[Big RR]

True, but the electors are tied to a candidate and usually listed on the ballot as "Electors for Candidate A" (whether they're required to vote for that candidate or not differs from state to state). Indeed, do any state ballots even list the name of the electors (or are they even published)?

[Guinevere]

In MA, only the candidates are listed in the ballot and I don't recall electors being even mentioned.


Electors are chosen by the parties, of course, and their names with a written commitment to vote for their party's candidate, and a signed acceptance, are filed with the Secretary of State with the formal nomination papers for each candidate. So publically available, just not easily accessible.

[Lord Jim]

Oh brother...

Trump Allies Plot Candidate Intervention After Disastrous 48 Hours

ey Republicans close to Donald Trump's orbit are plotting an intervention with the candidate after a disastrous 48 hours led some influential voices in the party to question whether Trump can stay at the top of the Republican ticket without catastrophic consequences for his campaign and the GOP at large.

Republican National Committee head Reince Priebus, former Republican New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are among the Trump endorsers hoping to talk the real estate mogul into a dramatic reset of his campaign in the coming days, sources tell NBC News.

The group of GOP heavyweights hopes to enlist the help of Trump's children - who comprise much of his innermost circle of influential advisers - to aid in the attempt to rescue his candidacy. Trump's family is considered to have by far the most influence over the candidate's thinking at what could be a make-or-break moment for his campaign.

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said Wednesday he had heard nothing of such a meeting and disputed that it would be at all necessary, saying on FOX News that "the only need we have for an intervention is with some media types who keep saying things that aren't true."

"The candidate's in control of his own campaign," he said.

The idea of an intervention is in its early stages, and there's no guarantee that Trump's team would entertain a conversation requiring such comprehensive changes for a candidate who has resisted calls to moderate his tone or reel in his most outlandish political positions.

Stunned Republicans began seriously considering the idea of an exit ramp after an extraordinary few days during which Trump continually lashed out against a Gold Star family critical of his position on Muslim immigration, declared that he'd "always wanted" a Purple Heart but that it's "easier" to receive one as a gift, and declined to endorse top Republican candidates including House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Sources in the candidate's orbit tell NBC News Trump is aware of the dissatisfaction within the party. But while some labeled the state of affairs "Crazytown" and "worse than ever," they also described a sense of powerlessness, bemoaning the fact there's "nothing that we can do, that anybody can do right now."

There's absolutely no indication Trump is considering leaving the race, a move that would seem wildly out of character for a candidate who has prided himself on "winning" and grasped at any poll that shows him dominating an opponent. Still, some Republicans are quietly considering the arcane mechanics of what would happen to the party's ticket if Trump was to leave the presidential race.

Adviser Kellyanne Conway disputed the notion that Trump would bolt the ticket, saying "I would push back on any formal report that the candidate is going to leave the race."

And it's clear that deep unease within the Republican Party is continuing to fester, despite party officials' efforts to turn the corner with a parade of "unity" pageantry of the GOP convention two weeks ago.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-el ... rs-n622216

This is so desperate it's embarrassing...

Assuming this "intervention" ever takes place, it wont matter one slim damn what Trump agrees to in terms of reigning in the crazy, (he's promised to dial it back before) he's just going to keep doing it, because he can't help himself. It's who he genuinely is.

[Guinevere]

You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. With apologies to dogs and fleas…

[rubato]

Weeks ago my wife asked if he could have tertiary syphilis. I thought it was unlikely at the time but now ...

Whether syphilis or something else, he does act like he might have a neurodegenerative disease. But I would want to compare is current behavior to 5 and 10 years ago to see if there is a real change or this is just his baseline personality.

I just want to get past the election so they can't bring in a 'ringer' at the last minute.


yrs,
rubato

[Guinevere]

Berkeley Breathed nails it (again):

[Econoline]

More here.