An Insane Person as President?

Webster defines insane as “exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind,” “unable to think in a clear and sensible way,” or “people having a severely disordered state of mind.”

All of those definitions apply to Donald Trump. He can’t carry on a coherent policy discussion, and when asked about specific issues, he nearly always veers off into a spate of lies and nasty personal attacks on his opponents.

We could define insane as someone having a mind with no connection to reality. That defines Trump as well.

There is evidence of that in his continuing denial of his loss in the 2020 election despite having lost all of the over 60 court cases filed on his behalf.

He continues to maintain the Central Park Five were guilty of murdering a female jogger despite having the real killer confess with DNA evidence backing this up.

One could go on and on, but it is clear that neither reason nor facts and evidence affect Trump’s thinking.

I’ll give the last word to Trump’s niece Mary Trump who is a clinical psychologist.

“It’s hard to see how anybody thinks my uncle is tethered to reality.”

What Does It Say About the U.S.?

More to the point, what does it say about the United States that we could elect an insane man as our next President? How did our country reach this point where this is even a realistic choice?

I mean, Rome had its Nero and Caligula, two insane emperors, but they gained power through heredity, while Trump, if he wins the election, will have been voted in.

What happened to the American Dream? How did it sour so quickly? Why are many Americans so angry and hateful that Trump’s message resonates with them?

Why do so many in our country feel left behind and ignored, believing the wealthy and the corporations run the show at their expense?

The Democrats used to be the party of the working man and woman, and it still is to some, but a majority of Democrats have backed off that stance, focusing more on campaign contributions from the wealthy and corporations.

While Republicans are seen as the party of the top one percent, the Democrats are now seen as the party of the top ten percent.

All This Anger and Hatred

This has allowed Trump to do an end run around the Dems and tap into the anger of those, mostly white men, but also men from other races, who feel left behind and ignored. Trump has tapped into their anger and alienation in ways the Democrats haven’t.

Trump doesn’t have to propose any programs or develop any policies. He can get away with saying he has concepts of a plan.

Trump is angry, hateful, and vengeful, so in his speeches about who is to blame for the condition of these angry men, Trump gives them lies, but his own anger and hatred resonate with many of his followers. They think his anger is the same as theirs, that he shares their pain, but of course, he doesn’t.

Trump is just an angry man, and it just so happens that it melds with his followers’ anger, even though they have nothing to do with each other. He gives speeches in an angry tone, saying he will wreak vengeance on the liberals and communists responsible, and his followers eat it up.

The Desperate Need to be Heard

They are so desperate for someone to hear them, and once heard, they’ll follow wherever he wants to take them. If the dead bodies of his enemy are strewn along the way, so much the better.

Trump’s genius, if you want to call it that, is his connection with his followers. They feel someone finally feels their pain, and understands their plight.

Sure, it’s a scam, but some people are so desperate they will grab onto anything that lessens their suffering and makes them feel like they matter.

Why Aren’t We Listening?

Certainly, our leaders need to acknowledge this pain, not just from Trump’s supporters but from all Americans, struggling and feeling neglected. Many feel that neither party represents their interests.

Unfortunately, money has poisoned our system, and the reality is, elections cost a lot of money. Many politicians from both parties feel they have to woo these power brokers to stay in power.

The result of all this makes it possible that the United States of America, the supposed beacon of light to the world, has now sunk to a point so low that an insane man could actually be elected president. That’s something to reflect on as we go forward.