Donald Trump the Epitome of “Projection”©
At a political rally on 5 August 2023, presidential candidate Donald Trump lashed out at Special Counsel Jack Smith who is prosecuting cases against him. He used what has now become common language–Smith was “deranged,” “sick,” “maniac.”(1) I noticed long ago that one of Trump’s habits, probably calculated, is to accuse his opponents of the same things of which he is guilty. In recent weeks, commentators, pundits, and now some of the press are calling attention to this phenomenon as “projection.” Projection in this context is a psychological term. On the Psychology Today website, projection is explained as:
...the process of displacing one’s feelings onto a different person, animal, or object. The term is most commonly used to describe defensive projection—attributing one’s own unacceptable urges to another. For example, if someone continuously bullies and ridicules a peer about his insecurities, the bully might be projecting his own struggle with self-esteem onto the other person.
The concept emerged from Sigmund Freud’s work on defense mechanisms and was further refined by his daughter, Anna Freud, and other prominent figures in psychology.(2)
It is interesting that “projection” is often a defensive mechanism growing out of insecurities and fears. Given Trump’s constant projection on to others his own egregious thinking and behavior, this may tell us even more about Trump than the projection itself. It suggests insecurities and fears may drive this behavior at the deepest levels of his infantile-juvenile mind.
But, I think there is more to it because projection is one of the favorite techniques of autocrats, demagogues, tyrants, and dictators. Just this week Trump accused Joe Biden of trying to destroy American democracy. We have been warned for years, and in recent years and months, a plethora of books mostly from Republicans, many former members of the Trump administration, are being published to “warn” America of Donald Trump’s intent to cast aside the Constitution and destroy American democracy. Liz Cheney’s book which came out today, Oath and Honor: A Memoir and Warning, is the most recent example. Equally interesting is this month’s The Atlantic magazine is given over entirely to two dozen essays about “If Trump Wins.”
Jack Smith may be one of the least “deranged” attorneys Donald Trump has ever encountered, especially when compared to Rudi Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and John Eastman. And if you hear those around Smith in the legal profession, he also may be one of the most dedicated, thoughtful, clear eyed, and under control prosecutors Mr. Trump has had to deal with. Smith is anything but “sick” physically or emotionally. He is not obsessed, but he is tenacious, dedicated, and thorough, which may well spark DT’s fears and insecurities. As for “maniac,” which Webster’s online dictionary defines as “someone who is or acts mentally unsound, especially: a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or dangerous manner,” well, none of these things fit Jack Smith, but each one is a bull’s-eye accurate description of the former President himself!
Pay close attention to Mr. Trump’s words and how often he “projects” his own thinking, desires, wishes, and actions on to his opponents and enemies. It is quite uncanny. But, please believe him when he says the Constitution should be terminated, and when, though he believes without any evidence but his own fears and insecurities, that Biden has weaponized the DOJ against him, therefore he will do the same if he becomes President again. I agree with Liz Cheney and many others who warn that he is the greatest threat to our democracy since World War II, and he will make every effort to set himself up as our dictator. I’ve believed this about him from the time he entered the political arena, and everything I have seen from him since confirms that original impression. I’m glad that so many of his former associates and others, are raising the warning trumpet. Though the MAGA base may be hardening against all of this, I believe they must also be shrinking in size, because it is so obvious that he is the one obsessed, sick, and maniacal–in his quest for power.
Let’s think together again, soon.
Notes:
1. David McAfee, “‘This guy is a maniac’: Donald Trump lashes out at Jack Smith at event,” Raw World Daily, available online at: https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-jack-smith-2662816861/?utm_source=msn
2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/projection
