General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is a serious post.
I think, in my not a mental health expert opinion, that Trump is having a mental breakdown.
The posts today about reopening Alcatraz and placing a 100% tariff on foreign made movies on the basis that they are propaganda and a national security threat, speak for themselves. He has descended into an abyss of paranoia. He is flailing in the face of diminishing poll numbers, the tariffs causing chaos to the global economy, and the courts not bending to his will.
I think that this is beyond trolling, as if trolling was ever normal behavior for an American president.
I think the true breaking point will be a public meltdown where we witness in real time Trump mentally collapsing and being strapped to a gurney and spirted away in an ambulance.
The American people have witnessed public breakdowns in recent years. We will know what it looks like.

The Blue Flower
(6,035 posts)May we see it soon.
BonnieJW
(2,979 posts)President Vance
TomSlick
(12,623 posts)Vance is marginally more nearly sane.
He would want to be re-elected and more responsive to public opinion.
Marcuse
(8,571 posts)maxsolomon
(36,978 posts)It would make sense for the House to shift, however.
usonian
(19,363 posts)They will both step on a metaphorical third rail soon. 🦈. 🔋
calimary
(87,189 posts)Intractable
(1,180 posts)TomSlick
(12,623 posts)However, they are not racing to mind.
Only Trump seems to have the blind support of the MAGA base. It is very much a cult. If the cult leader goes away, the cult should whither and die.
Linda ladeewolf
(975 posts)Personality of an oil slick in the rain, though not as colorful. And the base already hates him.
TomSlick
(12,623 posts)barbtries
(30,614 posts)he doesn't have a cult. people don't like that dude. Don't ask me why so many worship krasnov, I'll never understand it, but it is that cult that is keeping some otherwise sane republicans from doing the right thing.
The cult is the problem and JD will never lead the cult while Trump is alive
Tetrachloride
(8,854 posts)Unpopular
MiHale
(11,966 posts)Then Vance is discarded and the horror show takes another devious turn.
RSH
(12 posts)And the result of years of cocaine/adderall use and abuse. He's spinning out and fried!!!
Trueblue1968
(18,649 posts)Deuxcents
(23,263 posts)What I do see this time is more cruel and dangerous executive orders coming from him because of the different people he has advising him. Theyre more daring and unconstitutional but he keeps putting them out there to see what he can get away with. I will say hes a sick, shallow, little pos
republianmushroom
(20,785 posts)Dark n Stormy Knight
(10,414 posts)he's been given to understand that nothing he says or does will cause the MAGAts in or out of Congress, nor most of the media, to reject him.
Bev54
(12,690 posts)Somebody will say something and he picks up what he wants to hear and runs with it, like it is his own idea. It was Jon Voight that came up with the idea to put tariffs on film industry. Someone could have jokingly say something about opening Alcatraz and he would pick it up and run with it without any credible information on the costs or reality of it.
mokeyz
(77 posts)he is just a worse version of who he has always been - just that he is in charge of everything now with no one to rein him in. Every crazy thought he has ever had he is trying to do while behind the scenes the evil ones are doing the real destruction of the US - scary times.
greatauntoftriplets
(178,001 posts)Whatever he's doing, it's not governing.
Beck23
(397 posts)To stay at the top of the news cycle.
Skittles
(166,335 posts)that man has been batshit for some time now
DoBW
(2,651 posts)he has been, er, displaying signs of mental deterioration for some fucking time now
lastlib
(26,375 posts).....maybe longer. (I suppose it started when the mashed potatoes hit him, bu it could've been earlier--who knows for sure?) The frontal temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex has turned to powder, and all that's left functioning is the reptilian emotional centers.
bucolic_frolic
(51,623 posts)following Stephen Miller's directions.
FailureToCommunicate
(14,548 posts)kerry-is-my-prez
(10,095 posts)Trumps newly appointed Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, brings a complex political profile, with ties to Russian oligarchs and Chinese surveillance firms.
Before joining Trumps 2024 campaign, Wiles was a co-chair at a firm that lobbied for sanctioned individuals and companies. A lobbyist who recommended Wiles to lead US President-Elect Donald Trumps campaign represented a Russian-born oligarch connected to the Russian President Vladimir Putin and a state-owned oil corporation Rosneft.
Wiles ex-husband has ties to a Kremlin-linked lobbyist known for attending the 2016 TrumpTower meeting, where dirt on Clinton was offered on the Russian Governments behalf. Wiles daughter failed the White House background check.
Examining her lobbying work and personal connections reveals the scale and reach of foreign affiliations, raising concerns over potential foreign influence within Trumps incoming administration.
-snip-
Iamscrewed
(486 posts)Isn't hiding the simple fact that he not only doesn't care about us, he never did.
Pototan
(2,758 posts)If you read about the side effects of the experimental treatment necessary to save his life from contracting Covid 19 in 2020, he has all the symptoms,
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351
Wiz Imp
(6,273 posts)Meowmee
(9,212 posts)causing long covid symptoms for anyone... some patients with severe long covid have been helped with monoclonal antibody treatments.
https://altea-network.com/en/stories/206-monoclonal-antibodies
Pototan
(2,758 posts)the treatment of monoclonal and its side effects are more physical than psychological.
However, the severity of Trump's covid in 2020 most likely resulted is "long Coved" and its side effects.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/long-term-effects-of-covid-19-long-covid/
Meowmee
(9,212 posts)Any personality or brain effects are usually also "physical" especially when severe. The brain was one area affected by covid in some people. I don't think what is going on with psycho is from covid however.
Symptoms of long COVID
The most common symptoms of long COVID are:
I have highlighted in bold those symptoms that Trump exhibits.
extreme tiredness (fatigue)
feeling short of breath
problems with your memory and concentration ("brain fog"
heart palpitations
dizziness
joint pain and muscle aches
However, there are lots of symptoms you can have after a COVID-19 infection, including:
loss of smell
chest pain or tightness
difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
pins and needles
depression and anxiety
tinnitus, earaches
feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
rashes
Meowmee
(9,212 posts)There is so far no evidence that monoclonal antibody treatments cause long covid.
Pototan
(2,758 posts)The treatment has its own side effects, which are mostly physical. Long covid, with or without the monoclonal treatment, has its own side effects, which include some psychological symptoms.
These symptoms may allow the average person to live a normal life, but the long covid symptoms on an already psychologically damaged person with the responsibilities of the President of the United States may be a bit overwhelming.
Meowmee
(9,212 posts)Last edited Mon May 5, 2025, 09:37 PM - Edit history (1)
"If you read about the side effects of the experimental treatment necessary to save his life from contracting Covid 19 in 2020, he has all the symptoms,"
I don't think he has long covid tbh.
Pototan
(2,758 posts)you will see that I conceded that point.
RockCreek
(1,059 posts)Pacifist Patriot
(25,078 posts)cachukis
(3,336 posts)He is beyond the props.
Where are the white coats?
chowder66
(11,016 posts)Signs of narcissistic collapse can include:
Hostility and criticism toward others
Narcissistic rage, often involving an outburst of anger and aggression
Irritability and agitation
Accusing others to displace blame and responsibility
Gaslighting others to distort or distract from reality
Passive-aggressive behaviors, such as purposefully ignoring others or making sarcastic and hurtful remarks
Vindictive behaviors, such as telling lies or negative ideas about others to damage their reputation
Impulsive and reckless behaviors, such as gambling, excessive drug or alcohol use, or driving under the influence
Extreme stress and anxiety
Depression
Social withdrawal
Self-harm and suicide attempts
https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/narcissistic-collapse
2MuchNoise
(332 posts)58Sunliner
(5,904 posts)2MuchNoise
(332 posts)fierywoman
(8,390 posts)Texin
(2,778 posts)Meowmee
(9,212 posts)Gordcanuck
(122 posts)you are chattering about mental illness, not whats really dangerous to your country. Loony or not, he is hell-bent on destruction so must be sent to the showers asap. Dont squabble over the mechanism, just geter done before he gets you.
madaboutharry
(41,973 posts)I discuss the danger he poses to this country all the time. Having a mentally ill man serving as president is a danger. That is obvious.
kerry-is-my-prez
(10,095 posts)I have a Masters in Social work, work in the psych field and agree with you. I also think he has Borderline Personality disorder (you can have more than one personality disorder) due to his penchant for getting revenge.
And yes, some of the most dangerous people out there have personality disorders (Sociopathic Personality Disorders are common among criminals) and they are listed as psychiatric disorders in the diagnostic manual. Talk to anyone who works in the field and they will tell you that the biggest headaches are caused by patients with personality disorders. It is now thought that they have a genetic component.
The DSM-5 outlines specific criteria for diagnosing Borderline
Personality Disorder. These are:
A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects,
and marked impulsivity, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of
contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. (Note: Do not include
suicidal or self-mutilating behaviour covered in Criterion 5.)
2. A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by
alternating between extremes of idealisation and devaluation.
3. Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
4. Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending,
sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating). (Note: Do not include suicidal
or self-mutilating behaviour covered in Criterion 5.)
5. Recurrent suicidal behaviour, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behaviour.
6. Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic
dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more
than a few days).
7. Chronic feelings of emptiness.
8. Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of
temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights).
9. Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Resource-library/Health-professionals/Clinical-Toolkit/CT-Criteria-for-Diag-BPD.pdf
Cirsium
(2,758 posts)Last edited Mon May 5, 2025, 12:50 PM - Edit history (1)
It is a mistake to think he is having a mental breakdown.
He is not flailing. He is constantly testing the boundaries, sending up "trial balloons," seeing what he can get away with saying and doing. He is very dangerous and he has been very successful at destroying the country and at garnering a massive amount of attention and power. He has been on every news outlet every day for almost a decade.
Do not underestimate the threat. Do not expect him to "melt down" nor to "lose it."
Psychoanalyzing Adolph Hitler in the 30's would not have done anyone any good, and psychoanalyzing Trump now won't, either
kerry-is-my-prez
(10,095 posts)Cirsium
(2,758 posts)I am skeptical of that, to say the least.
Historic NY
(39,160 posts)a bowl of mush
]
WestMichRad
(2,428 posts)Please! Pretty please, with sugar on top?!
LudwigPastorius
(13,031 posts)Can something that is already broken subsequently break down?
pansypoo53219
(22,439 posts)+ they media says nothing. teevee gnewz.
Linda ladeewolf
(975 posts)Joinfortmill
(18,665 posts)Even with that, I don't know how we get out of this mess without some Republicans in Congress acting to defend our Democracy.
Renew Deal
(84,319 posts)Makes him seem like an unserious person. It has little useful political value but it does show delusions of grandeur.
underpants
(191,721 posts)The only places where he can be out of sight is AT The White House or Camp David. Hes hates both of those places too.
I know his ego wont let him not be the center of attention. I know his wallet wont let him not go to his own properties and bilk us.
I do think hes working or at least being at work more than the first term. No Executive Tine as far as I know. He basically holds court in the Oval Office.
AStern
(464 posts)He's an obnoxious troll.
Grim Chieftain
(440 posts)He has always been unstable, but with advanced age it is getting worse. It's not about Uncle Donnie getting a bit off in his later years, it's about the freaking president of the United States losing his mental facilities! He makes decisions, he proposes policies, he meets with heads of state. This is a crisis that cannot be ignored or pushed under the carpet. It's beyond Republican vs. Democrat, it is about the security and welfare of our country.
Blue Owl
(56,805 posts)
John1956PA
(4,315 posts)kimbutgar
(25,662 posts)Demented grandpa who is really so far gone. Good thing he doesnt drive!
And I cant wait for the final ending meltdown when his cult members realize he is insane and become afraid of his actions.
blubunyip
(243 posts)--no question about that. A public meltdown is probably more likely than use of the 25th amendment to remove him, tho that constitutional procedure being supported by congress would be the absolute best thing for the country.
At the same time, we should remember that there are multiple henchmen constantly feeding him extremist talking points and bizarre notions. We're up against a dangerous mafia-style syndicate. Not just this one psycho.
mopinko
(72,819 posts)and personally, i think its more important for the future for us to recognize that hes a mad man.
i mean, we know hes a criminal, and we elected him anyway. ppl dont recognize megalomania when its on our teevee all day. nor do they recognize other brain disorders. thats a very, very bad thing.
the contrast to supposedly brain damaged joe will b revisited. and maybe some eyes open.
and his brain damage will b debated then, and forever.
ive said this b4- when he dies, i want an autopsy, and i want to see pics of his congealed brain on my teevee and the front page of newspapers. the proof that his brain is broken is there, all over his records at reed that they r lying profusely about, or just burying.
maybe it will come out if they do remove him, but hopefully once hes gone, the truth will not b contained any more.
madaboutharry
(41,973 posts)Republicans are beating a drum with accusations that people around Biden were covering for him.
That is projection.
The real cover-up is what is going on right now and a concerted effort by many to conceal from the public Trumps neurological deterioration and his mental decline.
But Im not so sure they will bother with invoking the 25A. Im not so sure if they even care if the president is stark raving mad.
All that matters to these people is power and money. Nothing else has any value to them, including democracy.
at some point THEIR money and power will b threatened, and the worm WILL turn.
im still shocked that they have handed over the power they worked so hard to amass. the founders counted on ppl not doing that.
weve heard stories since his 1st term about what r electeds say behind closed doors. at some point, their ox will b gored. and remember- red states ESPECIALLY rely on fed dollars. defense contractors spread their production around for that reason. i dont expect them to touch the pentagon, despite that being where the majority of the waste, fraud and abuse r to b found.
but when they start to see the brain drain and the money evaporate as they target universities and research centers, a few will wake up.
madaboutharry
(41,973 posts)It will take these people experiencing suffering themselves for them to stop this insanity. Because the only people they care about is themselves!
I keep asking myself Where is the bottom? Is there a breaking point? Is there even a rubicon to pass, somewhere? 😢
mopinko
(72,819 posts)for the majority of that party. depressing af, but true.
but it will only take a handful. i wonder how many in that party have spouses/family that r immigrants.
Orrex
(65,655 posts)Peacetrain
(24,141 posts)
SpankMe
(3,539 posts)It ain't just Trump. The whole team of MAGA cons that the gov't has been seeded with are making these decisions.
cilla4progress
(26,383 posts)you are right!
He does seem to be spiralling!
🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾
58Sunliner
(5,904 posts)Hotler
(13,364 posts)resistance the fascist are turning up the asshole dial all they way. Remember, the orange convict is a reflection of his voters.
ECL213
(391 posts)CaptainTruth
(7,796 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(166,964 posts)
bif
(25,998 posts)That day can't come soon enough.
Freddie
(9,917 posts)Like Bud Dwyer?
LetMyPeopleVote
(166,964 posts)malaise
(287,163 posts)Please make it so
elocs
(24,486 posts)77.2 million Americans voted for him, preferred him over Harris. And they live among us who didn't.
LymphocyteLover
(8,410 posts)far more incoherent than the gibberish he normally speaks. I can't wait for him to finally collapse in some way. god, we are due for a break.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,731 posts)and many mental health professionals believe he is one, along with being a hard-core narcissist.
This term, he has a different group of enablers along with a manifesto (Proj. 2025), along with the knowledge this is his last term. So, if they're going to burn it all down, it could be their last chance for decades. From what I've read, these circumstances can drive a psychopath to do some very radical and destructive.things.
In a normal, sane world, serous efforts to remove him would be well under way by now. However, we know what happened to those efforts during the last term......
Oneironaut
(6,088 posts)I dont think Trump can have a break down. He thinks hes god-like to the point of full delusion.
DENVERPOPS
(13,003 posts)spewing this inane, delusional rhetoric, they would immediately ask a police officer or MD to put a 72 hour psychiatric hold on the patient.
even if the Repubs in congress voted to do the 25th amendment, he would still remain in power for 30? days...
No one knows what insanity he would release knowing he was at the end of the line with his Tyranny.......
The Wizard
(13,291 posts)conspiracy theorists are paranoid. Is Trump America's Idi Amin?
ananda
(32,659 posts)He just gets random ideas and blathers them
into policy in the craziest way.
Number9Dream
(1,809 posts)If Pres. Biden had put tariffs on uninhabited islands the media would have screamed "dementia"!
LetMyPeopleVote
(166,964 posts)Link to tweet

Evolve Dammit
(21,108 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(166,964 posts)
LetMyPeopleVote
(166,964 posts)