DONALD J. TRUMP: What has given rise to him? Why his impact is durable; and what it means for Canada.
On November 5th, 2024, Donald J. Trump was elected for a second term as President
of the United States. Exactly one year later, to the day, our renowned Canadian journalist, Jeffrey Simpson, spoke to a packed Probus audience, sharing his thoughts on just what Trump’s rise to power means for us in Canada. His presentation was informative, wide-ranging, and multifaceted. This summary will cover three key aspects of his speech: Narcissism, Trumpism, and Trump & Canada.
NARCISSISM
Simpson opened his presentation with a list of characteristics used to identify clinical, extreme narcissism. Narcissism is broadly defined as “excessive admiration for, or fascination with, oneself.” Clinical extreme narcissism takes that definition even farther. Simpson went on to provide examples of Trump’s actions and behaviour that support his theory of extreme narcissism.
Trump is consumed with his own agenda whether it be foreign affairs, immigration, tariffs, or remodelling the White House.
Any attempts to correct Trump’s falsehoods are slammed. He has his own media outlet and strictly controls which media are allowed in the White House newsroom. For example, The Associated Press was banned for failing to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” at Trump’s whim.
Trump’s foreign policy is more transactional – it is a “what is the country doing for us?” mentality.
He identifies with, and likes, strong dictators.
China has been able to leap ahead of the US in so many areas, but especially in environmental programs, while Trump is against most green programs and espouses “Coal Baby Coal”.
The chief negotiator in the recent peace talks is an old real estate friend of Trump’s.
Trump is very interested in feeding his narcissism; for instance, wanting to be recognized globally with the Nobel Peace Prize.
There is a growing concern about the misuse of presidential powers such as Trump’s abuse of the power to pardon.
Retaliatory actions to any criticism or questioning of the legality of his government’s actions include public defamatory remarks and unfair firing.