Borderline Personality is a spectrum disorder. We only wondered just how far Trump’s went. Did it go all the way to Anti-Social Personality Disorder or even Psychopathic?

Impeachment absolutely called out the President’s predatory actions as well as those of his minions, some eagerly complicitous (name of Rudy or something) and others less so. These actors in Trump’s very own “deep-state” covert government system of bribery, extortion, racketeering, and obstruction carried out the President’s wishes and orders.  Equally as important, President Donald Trump proved himself before, during, and especially after acquittal as an extreme case of Borderline Personality disorder (predatory variety).  His behavior after his fully anticipated acquittal drove the point home.

Impeachment was a Call-Out of Unacceptable Behavior, Not a Call to Get-Out

The House Impeachment was never meant to remove President Trump from office, though no one would say that out loud until the final vote was imminent.  If the press corps were open about this earlier in the impeachment process, it would have self-destructed.  Rather, Trump Impeachment meant the exposure of what brand and character of politician currently inhabits the Oval Office.  Removal by Impeachment of our sitting President was never in the cards, and not in the best interest of the nation, by far.  Removal of the widely popular Chief Executive would be the most divisive and destructive thing that could have possibly ever happened in the US government since the Civil War. 

Perhaps that is a massive over-exaggeration, for the benefit of Trump supporters, but let’s agree it would have made things much worse.

Impeachment was primarily (and reluctantly) initiated to uncover the truth and reveal it to the nation’s voters, to Congress, and via the popular press, to the world.  Put everything on the table.  It is an essential function of Congressional oversight, from our founding father’s system of checks and balances, over the Executive branch of the federal government.  But mostly it’s a trial to expose the story, from all involved, right square in the public eye.

What We Really Got from Impeachment

What happened instead? We got to see much more than the White House’s massive obstruction of Congress’ oversight function. Far more extreme behavior than mocking the White House Press Corp for doing the difficult job of reporting on our national Chief Executive. What Impeachment revealed about the President was his depth of character assassination of every, single, person, who said anything about what the President really does behind the scenes. And he did it all for his own benefit, at the expense of our country, our allies, our existing international relationships. To absolutely NO ONE’s surprise (least of all every single Trump supporter), Trump begins to carry out the wholesale destruction of everyone that didn’t lie, cheat, and/or steal to protect him. 100% loyalty means you are on the Forever Trump team, or you are dead, jailed, or walked to the White House door[2]. Duty to the country? Decorated soldiers and combat veterans? Same rules. That means you lie like a rug or face the wrath of Borderline Fury.

Borderline Trump in Action

Even some old, ongoing attacks increased, in the President’s search to destroy.  James Comey swung the 2016 Presidential election in its final week toward Trump, by timing his announcement 11 days before the election day of a massive breach of classified email security by then-candidate Hillary Clinton.  No one cared when, a month later, Comey rolled back his statements after they were proved highly exaggerated.  Still, even Comey’s public display of all-in Trump fealty and enabling came up short, and Trump is STILL not finished trying to destroy him, though no one is listening much anymore when he Tweets “that scum Comey blah blah.”

Trump’s vitriolic attacks on Comey, Pelosi, and uncounted others — using deeply personal, highly un-Presidential, rude, and downright nasty speeches and Tweets — had one primary purpose:  to demonstrate what Trump will do to anyone who puts even one toe out of line. Protect Trump at all costs. Lie, cheat, steal, self-immolate in the public press if that’s what it takes to cover up Trump’s behavior. Impeachment revealed a greater depth of dysfunction in the Executive Branch:  the unabashed Borderline Anti-Social Personality occupying West Wing of the White House.

Trump the Borderline – Psychiatric Definition in DSM-V

Thanks to the Impeachment, we can compare the Borderline symptoms against Trump’s behaviors.  The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version 5 (DSM-V for short) takes an updated stab at defining the personality characteristics of the Borderline.  While it unfortunately still focuses mostly on the symptoms of the victims of this anti-social personality disorder rather than the predatory behaviors of the True Borderline, it’s a start.  Here are the highlights of the DSSM-V Borderline Personality signs and symptoms [2],[3],[4]

1. Markedly disturbed sense of identity
2. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, and extreme reactions to such.
3. Splitting (“black-and-white” thinking)
4. Impulsive or reckless behaviors (e.g., impulsive, uncontrollable, destructive)^[10]
5. Intense or uncontrollable emotional reactions that often seem disproportionate to the event or situation
6. Unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships
7. Self-damaging behavior
8. Distorted self-image^[4]
9. Dissociation
10. Frequently accompanied by depression, anxiety, anger, substance abuse, or rage

The currently accepted diagnosis of Borderline Personality requires the exhibition of at least 5 of the above behaviors to levels considered highly abnormal.  For President Trump, let’s mark the scorecard:  a “1” means “yes” he displays this pathology, and “0” for no, at least not in unusual and abnormal levels required for a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder.

The Trump Borderline Behavioral Evaluation – What’s his Score?

1. Marked demonstration of Identity Disturbance (“deficiency or inability to maintain one or more major components of identity”).  Let’s accept that Donald Trump is President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the US military, and Principal Leader of Diplomacy.  (If we must.) First, Trump is unable or unwilling to (1) understand, respect, or even regard the leadership of his appointed military top leadership and their broad expertise.  Also, (2) the President displays deficiency in his support and empowerment of US diplomats and the Diplomatic Corps as they perform their crucial diplomatic roles. Mark it as “1.”
2. Extreme reactions to real or perceived abandonment. Any staffer, cabinet member, Chief of Staff, Congressman, or Senator who dares to say one single thing contrary to the President find themselves vilified, fired, excoriated, and then defamed some more.  And then, of course, there’s Twitter.  Mark another “1.”
3. “Splitting” (black-and-white thinking).  Let’s see… James Comey, North Korea, John Kelly, countless others.  One day they are Trump’s best pals, the next, they’re dirt on the President’s shoes. And vice-versa, if an old enemy says nice things.  Another “1.”
4. Impulsive or reckless behaviors. How about arranging the assassination of the top military leader of Iran against all his senior military advisors’ advice and to their expressed shock, with little regard to the military consequences and risk to US troops and other citizens in the region?  Let’s not mention the risk of initiating armed conflict in response.  Scoring this a “1” doesn’t seem strong enough.
5. Intense or uncontrollable emotional reactions, disproportionate to the situation. Easily a “1.”  It’s difficult to quickly recall Trump actually showing a proportionate emotional response to anything that doesn’t declaim Trump is terrific, the greatest in history, and oh so strong and manly.
6. Unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships – Haha, that’s a good one.  I mean a good “1.”
7. Self-damaging behavior. This is a tough one.  As President Trump was just impeached for (1) holding hostage vital military aid in return for investigation into damaging evidence against his leading political opponent at the time, and (2) using the power of Executive Authority, Privilege and “no, you can’t make me” to obstruct Congressional oversight and ignore the Constitutional Rule of Law, one wonders if Trump has ever done anything, at any cost (to others), that was not to his personal benefit.  Still, he wasn’t damaged in his own eyes. Scores this “0.”
8. Distorted self-image?  Hmmmm… (Really?) “1.”
9. Disassociation. This maybe scores a “0”, because in all fairness and in the strict definition of this Borderline symptom, detachment from reality is genuinely Trump’s normal frame-of-mind.  Rather than anything remotely episodic, disassociation from reality is the slogan on Donald Trump’s business card. 
   Just kidding! A big “1” for disassociation from reality.
10. Frequent depression, anxiety, anger, substance abuse, and rage. If Twitter was considered a consumable substance, this would be a grand slam.  Paranoia?  Anger and rage?  Late-night Twitter flameouts?  Seemingly never sleeping, compulsively watching television, and Tweeting at all hours?  As a side note, this is a reliable sign of depression and anxiety, but overall, score it a big-time “1”.

Final Score: 100% Borderline

Final Score:  9 out of 10, with the only “0” charitable at best. Since the expression of 5 or more Borderline behaviors is the clinically accepted level for a Borderline diagnosis, I believe we’re done: Trump is 100% Borderline Personality. And more depressing? Clinical therapy probably wouldn’t help.  True Borderlines want nothing to do with treatment: they’re exactly what they want to be. Precisely the case for Trump, wouldn’t you say?

President Donald Trump: 100% Borderline and proud of it.  And with his Impeachment acquittal in his tiny hand, he’s not bothering to hide it any longer. For readers hoping for chastisement or Presidential remorse, you need to re-read from the top. Pay attention this time and put down your phones.

Next: Anti-Social Personality disorder.