Episode 07: Breaking the Silence on Trump’s Mental State

In this first installment of our six-part deep dive into Donald Trump, we explore one of the most urgent and widely debated topics: his mental state.

For years, mental health experts followed the Goldwater Rule, which discouraged diagnosing political figures without personal examination. But with Trump, many professionals have broken their silence. His narcissism, compulsive lying, detachment from reality, and lack of empathy are extreme enough to pose a real threat to democracy.

In this episode, we examine:

• Trump’s psychological profile – How his upbringing shaped his dangerous personality.
• Malignant narcissism and psychopathy – Why experts believe he fits the profile of history’s most dangerous leaders.
• His growing cognitive decline – Signs of dementia and why it makes him even more unpredictable.
• What this means for democracy – How an unhinged leader with unchecked power threatens national security.

Understanding Trump's mental state isn't just about psychology—it’s about assessing the danger he poses to the country and the world.

The Blue Choir Speaks: What Concerns Them Most?

• Hugh: “Trump isn’t just a bad president—he’s a psychological disaster waiting to happen.”
• Joe: “His cognitive decline is terrifying. He’s getting more incoherent every day, and yet people still follow him.”
• Penny: “We’ve seen leaders like this in history before. It never ends well.”

Next Episode we continue our Trump series

Episode 08: The Cult of Trump – Why MAGAs Worship Him

• How Trump’s personality fuels blind loyalty among his supporters.
• The psychology behind authoritarian followers and cult behavior.
• Why some people refuse to see his lies, cruelty, and corruption.

This is one of the most disturbing aspects of Trumpism. You won’t want to miss it.

Transcript

Bella Goode  00:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to Surviving Trump. I'm Bella Goode and today we start a six part series on Donald Trump. Wouldn't you think that it would take like, 6000 episodes? But I have squeezed it all into six episodes. The first one is taking a deep dive look at his mental state. It's good stuff, if you want to know what the diagnosis is. Is he a veritable crazy maniac, or is it all in our imagination? There's tons to share with you. 

First, though, reflecting back on the first six episodes that I've recorded thus far. With each one I do I get more clarity on the direction I'm heading in. For me to do this podcast, and just as a reminder, I'm a marketer, not a political commentator by background, I need to become immersed in politics. It's an ongoing process for me to gain the knowledge and the grounding I need to produce content for this podcast. I might have mentioned this in an earlier episode, but this process of learning politics, it's kind of turned into a lesson plan for a civics course. Sounds very interesting, doesn't it? What a way to attract listeners, but hear me out. Imagine civics class that helps us survive living in Trumps America. I'm not talking about boring textbook languages. Rather, I aim to break down the confusing parts of government, the maniacal stuff that's happening, into easy, bite sized pieces. The idea of a quasi civics course during Trump's second term isn't just relevant, it's essential. It should give us the critical thinking skills and the context that we need to deal with today's political environment. 

Why should we do this? Well, because democracy isn't something we should take for granted. If the events since January haven't spelled it out loud and clear, democracy has to be actively defended each and every day. So now that my sermon is over, let me proceed the next six episodes the series on Trump today we do a deep dive into his psychiatric profile. It's heady stuff, but boy, is it good. I really enjoyed it. 

Next week, we'll seek to understand why the MAGAs worshiped him, which is episode eight. Episode Nine looks at his strategy for leading the country in his second term that is given his mental disabilities. Episode 10 focuses on the trauma that we are living in Trump's America, personal trauma and institutional trauma. Recently, there's been more in the press about something called unitary executive theory. So Episode 11 explains what that is and why we should be concerned. I then wrap up the series with episode 12. We'll delve a little bit more into Russell Vought. Vought, by the way, is spelled V, O, U, G, H, T. I had to look it up. How to pronounce it. It's vought. Anyway, he's the real monster behind the orange monster, one of the key architects of Project 2025 the guy who won't stop until a democracy has been dismantled. 

Finally, we look at paths forward and how to resist authoritarian rule. By the way, I can't believe that we're actually having to think about this. So today, we're going to explore Trump's psychological profile and what makes him dangerous. That be his mental disorders and his cognitive decline. I think of this as breaking the silence on Trump's mental state. For a long time, mental health experts followed a rule called the Goldwater rule, which said that they shouldn't diagnose political figures unless they had personally examined them. But when Donald Trump came into power back in 2017 many professionals decided that they should stop and they couldn't stay silent. His erratic behavior, compulsive lying, inability to accept reality and complete lack of empathy were too extreme to ignore. Makes sense to me. This isn't about politics, it's about science and psychology experts believe Trump's mental health is so dangerous that he poses a real threat to democracy. They describe him as a malignant narcissist, which means he has a toxic combination of narcissism, anti social personality disorder, paranoia and sadism. 

On top of that, Trump shows signs of psychopathy and cognitive decline, making him even more reckless and unpredictable than before. Oh my gosh, that's a mouthful, and it's also a little bit frightening. But how did he become this way? Was he born a narcissist and a psychopath, or what he shaped by his environment. To understand Trump's mind, we have to go back to where it all started; his childhood. Donald Trump's personality wasn't created out of thin air. It was shaped by two dysfunctional parents and a toxic relationship with his older brother, Fred Trump Jr. These influences him that power is everything, emotions are weak, and winning at all costs is the only goal in life. Does that all sound familiar? Trump's father, Fred Sr was a wealthy real estate mogul, but more importantly, he was a ruthless authoritarian. He saw life as a battle between winners and losers. If you weren't a winner, then you were worthless. Fred Sr had no emotional warmth and refused to show affection. He mocked weakness and demanded absolute obedience from his children. Fred Sr also had a dark side. He was arrested at a Ku Klux Klan rally in the 1920s and as a landlord, he refused to rent apartments to black tenants. He believed power was for people like him, wealthy, white and ruthless. 

Boy, I'll tell you it all is starting to make sense. Trump's harsh parenting had devastating effects. His oldest son, Fred Trump Jr, was sensitive and kind. He did not want to run the family business. He wanted to be a pilot, but Fred Sr saw kindness as a weakness, humiliated and bullied Fred Jr until he broke down, falling into alcoholism. He died at just 42 years old. Donald, meanwhile, watched all of this unfold, and instead of feeling sympathy for his brother, he learned a different lesson. Kindness leads to destruction. To survive, you have to be dominant, ruthless and never show weakness. Painful to read this, Fred Jr and Donald Trump were opposites. Fred Jr was easy going and compassionate, but Donald was already learning to be aggressive and manipulative. Instead of standing up for his brother, Donald joined his father in mocking and belittling him. When Fred Jr died, did Donald reflect on his treatment of his brother? No, he called him a loser. Even years later, when asked about Fred Jr's death, Trump had no regrets. He saw his brother's kindness as a weakness, and believed that his own cruelty had saved him from the same fate. It was death of any empathy that Donald Trump ever had. Meanwhile, Trump's mother, Mary Ann Trump, was physically weak and emotionally distant. After suffering complications during childbirth she was often sick and uninvolved. Donald never received the warmth and affection that kids need to develop empathy. 

Studies show that children who grow up without a nurturing mother often develop narcissistic and psychopathic traits without that emotional connection. Trump never learned to care about other people's feelings. He saw relationships his power struggles instead of genuine human connections. Then, of course, there was his military school, the ultimate training ground for an authoritarian at 13, Donald was so out of control that his parents sent him to a military school instead of correcting this behavior, his behavior this environment reinforced his worst instincts. He learned that fear is power. People follow leaders who make them afraid. He learned that rules don't matter if you're rich and powerful. He learned that winning is everything. Well, Trump didn't leave military school as a disciplined young man. He left believing that he could bully and lie his way to the top and no one would stop him. Trump's childhood was a breeding ground for traits that define him today. Growing up under a ruthless, domineering father and an emotionally distant mother, he learned that cruelty was a strength, empathy was a weakness, and winning was the only thing that mattered. His relationship with his older brother, Fred Jr only reinforced these lessons, watching his father torment Fred for being too soft, convinced Trump that survival meant domination. 

These early influences didn't just shape his personality. They created a man who would later exhibit one of the most dangerous psychological conditions in leadership, malignant narcissism. Malignant narcissism is not just a personality quirk. It's one of the most dangerous psychological conditions a person in power can have. Experts describe it as a blend of four major disorders, and unfortunately, Trump exhibits all of them at extreme levels. Unbelievable. The first piece of this puzzle is narcissistic personality disorder, which means Trump has an extreme need for constant attention, praise and admiration. He brags about his intelligence, his wealth, his achievements, even when they're not real. He needs to be the center of attention at all times he feels insulted or ignored. He lashes out with anger, insults or revenge. This is why he constantly attacks the media, celebrities or anyone who questions him. In his mind, he is perfect, and any criticism is an attack on his self worth. But Trump's narcissism alone doesn't make him dangerous. 

The second disorder he has is anti social personality disorder, which is the clinical term for sociopathy. This means that Trump has no moral compass, no empathy and no concern for laws or ethics. He lies compulsively, not because he has to, but because he enjoys manipulating people, even when confronted with undeniable facts, he doubles down on his lies and attacks those who expose him. This is why he's told over would you believe it? 30,000 documented falsehoods throughout his presidency, the First Presidency, he's probably starting anew with probably another 30,000 in his second term. Trump's third disorder is paranoia, which makes him see enemies everywhere. He believes that the media, the FBI, the justice system, and even members of his own party are out to get them. He promotes wild conspiracy theories, like the claim that the 2020 election was stolen, despite all the evidence proving otherwise. His paranoia leads to reckless and dangerous decisions. Instead of trusting his intelligence agencies, he believes in dictators like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. 

The fourth and final piece of malignant narcissism is sadism, the enjoyment of cruelty. Trump doesn't just attack people. He delights in humiliating them. He mocked a disabled reporter. He insulted Gold Star families. He even joked about it executing his political enemies. He bragged about intentionally separating children from their parents at the border, calling it a great deterrent, even when faced with human suffering, Trump shows no remorse, no empathy, no desire to help. So this combination narcissism, sociopathy, paranoia and sadism, is what makes Trump so uniquely dangerous. Many politicians are power hungry, but they can still operate within the rules of democracy. Trump, on the other hand, believes that he is above the law. He sees democracy, institutions and even the Constitution as obstacles standing in his way. With all these traits, it's clear Trump is not just an unusual leader. He's a psychological threat to the very foundation of democracy. 

As Trump's mental state continues to deteriorate. His behavior becomes more erratic, more extreme and more dangerous. His malignant narcissism, psychopathy and paranoia have escalated over time, making him more unhinged than he was even during his first presidency. Mental health experts have noted that this impulsivity, detachment from reality and vengeful nature have grown worse. Now that he has regained power, he will likely act without any restraints. One of the clearest signs of his decline is his obsession with revenge. Throughout history, authoritarian leaders with psychopathic traits have used government power to punish their enemies, and Trump openly admits that this is his plan. He has publicly stated that he intends to root out his political opponents, and has even floated the idea of jailing them. He frequently attacks judges, prosecutors, journalists who expose his corruption, calling them enemies, the people. His supporters see this as a strength, but history shows us this type of rhetoric is the foundation of dictatorship. 

The moment a leader starts weaponizing the legal system against critics, democracy starts to crumble. We also see his delusions of grandeur and divine authority becoming more extreme. Trump has repeatedly compared himself to historical figures like Abraham, Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte, but in recent months, his religious rhetoric has taken a disturbing turn. After surviving an assassination attempt, he suggested that God had chosen him to save America. His supporters now refer to him as almost the Messiah, calling him the Anointed One, and treating him as a prophet rather than a politician. This kind of fanaticism and self deification is common amongst history's worst dictators. When a leader starts to believe that they have divine authority, they no longer feel bound by laws, morality or democratic principles. Another alarming trend is his increasing detachment from reality. Trump has always been a compulsive liar, but now he appears to believe his own faucets. He insists that he has single handedly destroyed BRICS, B R, I C K, B R, I C, S, a Global Economic Alliance, even though there was no evidence to support this claim. He continues to repeat false stories about the 2020 election, claiming that he won in a landslide, despite all facts proving otherwise. 

His statements have become more incoherent and rambling with disorganizing tangents that make little sense. Experts note that this is a sign of cognitive decline, which makes him even more unpredictable. So while Trump's malignant narcissism and psychopathy are well documented, an equally urgent concern is the growing evidence of his cognitive decline, which closely resembles early stage dementia. Many neurologists and mental health experts have pointed out that Trump is exhibiting the same signs of cognitive impairment that his father Fred Trump senior showed in his early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. Fred Trump Sr suffered from dementia for six years before his death in 1999. Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disorder that gradually destroys the memory, thinking skills and the ability to carry out simple tasks. Family members who witnessed Fred Sr's decline described him as becoming increasingly confused, repeating himself, losing track of conversations and eventually being unable to recognize people he had known for decades. The disease ultimately left him in a permanent state of mental fog right before his death. Now, many experts see striking similarities between Fred Sr's mental decline and Trump's increasingly erratic speech, memory lapses and disorganized thinking. 

Trump was once a sharp and quick witted public speaker known for his ability to control the room and dominate debates with sharp comebacks, but in recent years, his public appearances have become riddled with slurred words, unfinished sentences and bizarre statements that make little sense. One of the most notable signs of Trump's cognitive decline is his inability to remember basic facts and names. He has repeatedly forgotten the names of key allies and officials, even ones that he worked closely with for years. In one instance, he forgot the name of his own doctor while discussing his health on live television. He has also referred to world leaders by incorrect names and confused basic historical facts. Another red flag is his frequent repetition of false or nonsensical stories. People with early stage dementia often struggle with short term memory loss, leading them to repeat the same stories over and over again because they don't remember telling them before. 

Trump is known for doing this in his rallies and interviews, often repeating disproven conspiracy theories multiple times within the same speech. He has also misremembered past events, sometimes inserting himself into historical moments that never happened. His speech patterns have also deteriorated significantly. Trump was once known for his ability to deliver speeches with confidence, even if the content was misleading, but now his speeches are filled with word salad, incoherent, rambling and bizarre tangents that even his supporters struggled to follow. In a recent interview, he was asked about inflation, and his response was a long, disjointed rant about electric cars, windmills and how he thinks whales are being killed by green energy policies. His inability to stay on topic and his increasing tendency to speak in nonsensical phrases are classic signs of cognitive impairment. 

Neurologists who study dementia have noted that Trump exhibits many of the same warning signs as other aging individuals in the early stages of neurodegeneration. These include memory loss, forgetting names and places and past events, confusion and disorientation, losing track of what he sang mid sentence, repetitive storytelling, telling the same false stories over and over again, word salad, speech, speaking in fragmented, jumbled and incoherent sentences, impaired decision making, making impulsive, reckless choices without considering the consequences. Oh, how about talking about Gaza turning into the Riviera? That's a good example. Ultimately, the combination of Trump's malignant narcissism, psychopathy and the cognitive decline makes him a uniquely dangerous threat to democracy and global stability. His mental disorders drive him to seek power at all costs, while his cognitive decline makes him increasingly unpredictable and incompetent. 

Now that Trump has returned to the presidency, we aren't just dealing with a ruthless authoritarian. We are dealing with an authoritarian who is mentally unfit to govern that is a recipe for disaster on a global scale. One major consequence is the weaponization of government power. Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to use the presidency to punish his enemies. He has vowed to prosecute political opponents, purge government agencies of anyone disloyal to him and replace them with loyalists who will follow his orders without question. He has even suggested that he will declare himself dictator on day one, if elected. Well, that didn't happen. Or it- maybe it did happen. This is how democracies die, not through single events, but through gradual erosion of legal and institutional safeguards. Now that he's in power, he will have learned from his past mistakes. He will ensure that judges, military leaders and officials who opposed his 2020 coup attempt are removed, so there will be no one left to stop him next time. Trump's mental disorders also pose a risk to global stability. His impulsivity, paranoia and lack of strategic thinking make him uniquely vulnerable to manipulation by foreign adversaries. 

During his first presidency, he praised dictators like Vladimir, Putin, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping, while alienating America's allies, he publicly sided with Russia over US intelligence agencies, even as Putin worked to undermine American democracy. His lack of focus poor memory make him unfit to handle complex diplomatic and military challenges. In his present condition, he can easily be manipulated into making reckless decisions on trade war and nuclear policy leading to global instability. Trump's authoritarian instincts threaten the very foundation of democracy. He's made it clear that he does not respect the Constitution, does not believe in the peaceful transfer of power and sees laws as obstacles to be ignored. Mental health experts warn that if he is allowed to rule unchecked, he will dismantle democratic institutions completely. Leaders with malignant narcissism do not voluntarily give up power. They cling to it for as long as they can. Under Trump, there is no guarantee that there will ever be another free and fair election in the United States. We are at risk. A leader suffering from dementia or cognitive decline is not just a problem for their political party, it's a direct threat to national security. 

The President of the United States is responsible for making high stakes decision on war, diplomacy, the economy and national emergencies. If Trump is already losing his memory, struggling to form coherent thoughts and confusing basic facts, how can he possibly be trusted to handle crises? Beyond national security his cognitive impairment can lead to chaos in government, and we are already seeing a lot of evidence of that. A mentally unfit president would be incapable of handling complex policy discussions, unable to focus on governing, and prone to making impulsive, reckless decisions. We've already seen how Trump's erratic leadership caused constant turnover in his administration, with top officials resigning or being fired at an unprecedented rate. 

This, of course, happened in his first term. His cognitive decline, as it worsens, is likely to cause this current administration to also be unstable, dysfunctional and chaotic. And again, we're already seeing signs of that. You might be wondering after all of this, whether or not Trump has any redeeming qualities. Well, yes, he does, but it depends on your perspective, and that's the subject of next week's episode on the MAGAs. In conclusion, let's finish up about why all this matters. Donald Trump is not just another politician with a big ego. He's a psychological threat to democracy. His malignant narcissism, psychopathy, paranoia and cognitive decline make him uniquely dangerous, unlike any leader in modern American history. 

While most politicians operate within the boundaries of democratic norms, Trump sees rules as the obstacle and laws as weapons to use against his enemies, mental health professionals have been warning for years that Trump is getting worse. His speech is less coherent, his behavior is more erratic, and his obsession with power has deepened. Unlike his first term, when he was somewhat restrained, somewhat restrained by advisors and institutions, a second Trump presidency is being unchecked and even more extreme. He has already vowed to fill his administration with loyalists, which he's absolutely done, expand executive power and use the presidency to punish anyone who stands in his way. But the real question is, will America listen to the warnings before it's too late? 

History has seen leaders like Trump before, authoritarians who rise to power by spreading lies, attacking institutions and convincing the public that democracy is their enemy. The pattern is clear. The danger is real. The only question is whether or not we will stop it in time. I hope you will join me next week for Episode Eight, when we will be discussing the MAGA movement. It's the cult of Trump and how Trump's personality has reshaped American politics. 

Until then, the two requests that I always make of you, leave a comment, a transcript for today's episode is available along with references and links. Start a conversation, ask questions, challenge ideas. This is your community. This is my community. Also, leave a review. If this podcast resonates with you let me know. If it doesn't, tell me that too, I want to get this right. Should I keep going? Should I tweak the approach? Your honesty is invaluable. Oh, and do follow me on Blue Sky. On that note, I leave you with some Borowitz humor. 

Dateline, Moscow, Vladimir Putin has entered into negotiations with Elon Musk over the ownership of Donald J Trump. The Kremlin confirmed on Tuesday, those negotiations, however, are proving contentious, as the Russian president is arguing that having fully owned Trump between 2017 and 2021 he is entitled to a majority stake now. For his part, Musk claims that he purchased Trump outright by spending nearly $300 million on his 2024 campaign. In one heated exchange, Musk reportedly told the Russian leader, you're being greedy Vlad, you already own Tulsi. 

Until next time, stay engaged, stay informed, and most importantly, stay in the fight. This is Bella Goode, signing off.