45 Comments

Hey listen, he had me at ultraviolet light inside the body. It just keeps getting worse day after day and if you think it can't get worse, ask yourself during the past 3 and a half years when did it not get worse? This mentally ill president still holds the nuclear codes. He still has the ability to cause even more damage to this country than he already has. The press is aiding and abetting the destruction of our democracy for fear of losing access. Do journalists understand that once we descend all the way to authoritarianism, if we're not there already, that they will not even have a job. Or if they do they may be forced to simply report on this year's grain harvest like the press used to do in the Soviet Union. Are they okay with that? Will they be okay with journalists being locked up or perhaps worse? This maniac in the White House never forgets his enemies. You would think for self preservation interests alone, the mainstream media would be speaking truth to power but yet, it's mostly crickets.

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I agree regarding the reticence of the press to address Trump's obvious mental issues. My question is, why? I don't mean the boilerplate answer that sounds as if it's coming out of a journalism textbook - I mean the real, honest-to-goodness answer.

What's always missing from these stories about the press not doing something are quotes from the press themselves - reporters, editors, publishers, sales managers. I want to hear the real answers from the people who make the decisions about what I read. If they don't want to expose themselves, can we at least have anonymous quotes from the decision makers in the press? I'm actually curious and want to know the truth about why Trump has been allowed to skate by for his entire career.

On a personal note, I understand that members of the press are off-the-recording each other while having a cocktail or ten. However, the need for the public to know the truth, for history to record the truth, is more important than some chummy confidentiality between two newspaper pals. I want to know the reason, dammit. Period.

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I couldn't agree more. As a registered nurse, I cannot understand the wanton disregard of this man's obvious descent into worsening dementia. He continues to provide evidence of this on a daily basis, yet the press rarely discuss it.

But, her emails!

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The broader topic here is self-censorship in the U.S. media. The run-up to the Iraq war saw massive protests in major cities go astoundingly ignored by tv and print media. This has never been explained. We are at the same place with Trump's obvious dementia or whatever it is. The man is not in his right mind. Same blanket censorship by news outlets. Breathtaking.

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History is filled with psychotic bullies stealing power who have destroyed, not built. How have we so failed in our history education that a crucial number of Americans actually vote for these mentally ill tyrants???

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founding

I take issue with psychologists/psychiatrists hiding behind the “I can’t diagnose someone I haven’t professionally” excuse. You don’t diagnose severe personality disorders with blood tests, MRIs, etc. you do it by looking at the person’s behaviors. Trump’s behavior has been very public and well documented for decades, giving professionals much more information than they ever have about patients they see in their practices.

Trump has all the symptoms of extreme form of narcissistic personality disorder which is a from of psychopathy. That is a very dangerous condition, especially in someone with the power of the presidency.

Read the symptoms used to diagnose this dangerous disorder and you will see that Trump fits them to a “T”. We know from what has been written about him and in his authorized biography that these are symptoms he has consistently exhibited. This was obvious before he ran for president and should have been talked about when he first ran.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20366662

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One reason for the media not covering the Trump derangement angle could be that they know it won't really change anything. It won't lead to his ouster because nothing he does will provoke the corrupt GOP into acting against him. I think a worse media failure is not covering election fraud, and Eric, I hope you focus on that too at some point. We saw what just happened in GA; it's gonna be massive in November.

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Sadly, the poor coverage of the president extends to the congress as well. When asked to comment on the president's lunatic tweets GOP senators often say "I haven't seen it." No reporter follows up with "Isn't it your job to stay up to date with what the leader of your party says?"

Media approval ratings are falling as fast as congressional approval.

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Look at their behavior at briefings, including accepting having to sit closer together. However bad the economy is, maybe we need to start a "defund the Washington press corps" campaign?

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Mr. Boehlert, I ask you first to watch an episode from an old TV series called “The Twilight Zone” called “It’s a Good Life”. No sparkly vampires I assure you.

Next, please remember that Trump is the President. He has access to the nuclear launch codes and literally can rain nuclear destruction on a whim.

Then please recall that Trump is the President Republicans want. There is no 25th Amendment “off ramp”.

So I suggest there is an aspect of “playing the game” here. If we can keep Trump from realizing how insane he is, if we keep him mollified with adulation, parades, and praise, he won’t do some of the truly dangerous stuff he might.

Just one example. Lou Donna was asserting that COVID was an attack by China on the US. Worse than Pearl Harbor he said. Now we know the US response to Pearl Harbor. What if Trump listens & responds to this “attack similarly?

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When Donald Trump said to US in 2016 “ I alone can fix it” the alarm bells should have gone off. They didn’t.

“I alone can fix it” is some serious dictator shit. Don’t need no stinking’ Congress. Don’t need no courts, supreme or otherwise. Don’t need no Constitution. I. ALONE. Can. Fix. it. It’s never been asked what “it” is. Fix what?

As a kid I remember being threatened by a bully who told me he was going to “ fix” me. He meant he was going to whip my ass.

Whatever Trump is going to “ fix” all by himself it won’t be good for our country.

Dictators fix stuff.

They make trains run on time and build super highways. They build monuments to themselves (sounds very Trumpy huh?)

They destroy people, starting with their freedoms.

To those who get the warm and fuzzies from Trump portraying himself as the protecting Big Daddy wake up!

The authoritarian wheedles and promises and makes his followers feel giving up their freedoms is surrendering to the loving arms of someone who truly cares about them. That is NOT Donald The Dictator Trump.

I just heard a group of Trump supporters asked if they prefer 4 years of Trump as dictator to 4 years of Biden as President.

The answer is not surprising.

But it’s frightening.....

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I honestly think we are going to have to have a few Cassandra’s go out and tell it, with guns blazing. Tell it, and keep repeating the fact that he is a deranged psychopath, DARVOS, self-centered, etc cetera. Get Bandy Lee, and other Professionals from the Mental Health Field to do a Symposium something. We do not have a do over option.

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Ironically, the article simply asserts that reporters don't choose to confront this elephant in the corner, not that there is any professional downside to doing so, other than possible repercussions from similarly crazed fanboys/girls. That said, there are at least several, maybe many, social attitudes that make calling a spade a spade (no, it's not a racist phrase!) problematic, starting with the tried-and-truism that while you and I are crazy, the rich are "eccentric." I've done a few hundred hours of volunteer work with mentally ill folks, and have observed that most folks, if they learn about it, are squeamish around them. Thus many friends or family let their dysfunction deteriorate way too long. Ironically, Trump's wealthy, privileged upbringing, plus grossly outdated attitudes about 'weekend's and, reportedly, a soul-murdering father, guaranteed he never got the professional help he desperately needed.

I could almost feel sorry for the poor schmoe, but, well, I AM human, and he IS such a thoroughly toxic bastard! All we can do is kick him out. And I predict we will witness the steepest, saddest decline of an ex-president in American history.

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Actually, go to the source for diagnosis and pathology. https://thenewpress.com/books/losing-reality. Lifton's diagnosis: 'solipsism syndrome'. Also, of course, Dr. Bandy X Lee has been banging this drum since 2016. She deserves more attention. She is not hyperbolic.

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Good article as always, and of course he is certifiable, but when writing about this clown, please consider not illustrating your excellent commentary with photos of him. We know what he looks like and seeing his face everywhere is just revolting.

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Why write an article about Trump's mindset - and not interview actual Doctors. The author cites other writers, but not a single psychiatrist.

Perhaps it's because despite the behavior, the author and friends are not in a position to diagnose a problem. Only a psychiatrist or psychologist is. Personality disorders, narcissism, dementia are serious. They are illnesses. Illnesses which have consequences even more so when it's the president. Mental illness is a punch line. "That's so bipolar.' 'Schizoid.' Etc are not ok to say. Millions of Americans suffer from debilitating incurable diseases. Heathcare facilities are lacking. 40k Americans kill themselves. Most due to illnesses of the brain. This article does an injustice. Armchair psychiatry is not a diagnosis. At best it is an attempt to understand. At worst it is used to denigrate. Whatever goes on in his head and how it spews out is our business. Playing doctor is not.

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