My Take: Is Trump a victim or an arrogant con?

All of us know people who have suffered at the hands of an accident, a disease, or a natural catastrophe. A person may have been found guilty by the criminal justice system and subsequently declared innocent. Such individuals are “genuine” victims. Not surprisingly there are others who simply relish “playing the victim card.”

In response to the legal indictments against him, Donald Trump has publicly declared that he is the “victim” of an unfair, politically motivated “witch hunt.”

In a 2020 "Mysteries of the Mind" podcast, “Trump and the Psychology of the Victim,” psychoanalyst Michael Bader claims that “the commitment to victimhood is deeply embedded in Donald Trump’s character.” Such a commitment accomplishes a lot from a psychological standpoint: “It counteracts feelings of guilt … And once guilt is negated and innocence restored, the victim can then go about hurting others and doing bad things again.” The victim justifies his immoral behavior because he views himself as a martyr. He hopes you will also view him in that way.

According to Bader the “logic” of victimhood goes like this: “Since I’m persecuted, I have the right to do anything I want without regard for others. Victimhood is a living and breathing get-out-of-jail-free card that constantly sprinkles forgiveness and exoneration on one’s harmful actions.”

So, it should come as no surprise that Trump refers to former Attorney General William Barr as “gutless,” a “coward who didn’t do his job,” or to special counsel Jack Smith as “deranged” and a “lunatic,” or to Mike Pence as “delusional” and “not a very good person.”

In Bader’s view “feelings of victimization and superiority” are perfectly compatible. When you convince others that you are the persecuted victim, guilt and shame fade away and you view yourself as morally superior, above reproach.

Trump wants everyone to believe he has been harmed, that others are out to get him. Fair-minded people would agree that there is a modicum of truth in that assertion. There is a deep-seated loathing of Donald Trump on the part of many individuals in this country. That said, when was the last time you heard Donald Trump admit he was wrong about something? Or someone? Or does he come across as infallible, incapable of making a mistake, and so far above the fray that any criticism is ill-founded?

Republican pollsters like Frank Luntz have correctly observed that Trump’s portrayal of himself as a victim is clearly working. As the legal indictments against him mount, so too does his rise among the Republican faithful who buy into the “witch hunt” argument.

At the end of the day, informed citizens will have to decide if Trump is a “genuine” victim. Or whether his rhetorical bluster is just a ruse perpetrated by an arrogant con artist doing his best to “play the victim card.”

— John Kearney, Ph.D., resides in Waterloo, Iowa.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: My Take: Is Trump a victim or an arrogant con?