If Trump is truly a narcissist, he cannot "lose"

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I think you're on to something.

Trump thrives on publicity of any kind. The whole world revolves around him, so even if he's criticized, at least he's being paid attention. I have a sister-in-law who I am convinced has NPD and she is absolutely impossible to get along with (and fortunately she now lives in a distant state so I don't have to deal with her). She brags incessantly about herself - her education, her "expertise" in her field, her generosity - she likes to donate to some local charities but she makes damn sure everybody knows she did it and praises her accordingly. If you challenge her about anything at all she flies into an irrational rage because she can't stand ever being wrong. If you successfully prove a fact she claimed wasn't a fact she resorts to personal insults (I have a nice collection of emails full of those). She's a horrible person and a racist - she moved to a particular part of the U.S. because there are hardly any black people in the area - and she specifically said this was a reason. Not surprisingly, she's also a Trump-supporting Republican. Watching Trump and his bizarre flights of egomania just reminds me of my awful SIL. I'm sorry you've had to deal with a mother with this disorder; it must have been very difficult.