Art of the Deal ghostwriter Tony Schwartz had an altogether obvious and devastating explanation for Trump’s attacks on our allies. Trump is mentally ill, and such behavior has been his typical mode of operation for as long as the man has known Trump.
In a CNN interview this morning, Schwartz delivered this summation as transcribed by Raw Story:
“His interest is almost entirely about how he is seen or how he thinks he’s seen,” Schwartz explained. “And therefore his perspective is a very… it’s wearing blinders. All he cares about right now, particularly in light of what happened at the G7, is that he can restore in his own mind his sense of self. And what’s so fragile in Trump is his sense of self.”
Sounds right, it isn’t about “fair trade,” it’s about Trump’s ego and sense of himself in the world. BTW, as an aside, Trump doesn’t even know what “Fair Trade” means. Fair Trade is a term that describes trade with poorer countries, paying them a price relative to what such good can sell for in the richer countries without pocketing the massive cost differences in profit. “Free Trade” is trade without government imposed restrictions. Trump can say it is “unfair” to have such imbalances, but to talk about “fair trade” just makes him sound like an idiot, as if he needed help in that area.
Schwartz then levels the hammer:
“I’m going to say it very bluntly: He’s mentally ill,” he said. “This is a man — and I understand I’m not a psychiatrist, but he’s prima facie mentally ill. He has a personality disorder. That means on its face this is a man who is unstable, who doesn’t think clearly and has narrowed his frame by pushing out anybody who will disagree with him.”
Granted, we’ve heard that before, but it resonates with particular clarity after Trump somehow managed to bungle what should be the easiest types of summits, and create hostilities with perhaps our strongest ally.
