The character of a President

The character of a President

As the world watches the U.S. vote, it turns the page on a new and arguably uncertain chapter. I have just read a startling essay about Donald Trump’s character. One marvels at Americans’ willingness to vote for such a person as President.

In Australia, we pillory our politicians for seeking an upgrade on a commercial flight and the media forces them to step down if they accept a bottle of wine. In the U.S., a politician can be found guilty of 34 crimes of falsifying business records – and still be elected President.

To be clear, I don’t admire socialists’ policies because I don’t believe they work. As the state of Victoria is now discovering, after a decade of Labor governments (and without a steady supply of oil revenues such as some Lapland countries receive), socialists eventually run out of other people’s money. So, I would pause before voting for any socialist government.  What I do admire, however, and what we should all demand, is that those who lead do so with integrity. I also think it’s reasonable to assume the character of the human at the helm ultimately determines the ship’s direction and the experience of everyone aboard.

In “The Psychopath in Chief,” essayist Tony Schwartz, the co-author of Donald Trump’s famed memoir The Art of the Deal, offers a penetrating analysis of Trump’s character based on his extensive personal interactions. Drawing from hundreds of hours spent with Trump, Schwartz delves into the psychological underpinnings of Trump’s behaviour, suggesting that he exhibits traits consistent with a sociopath.

Schwartz begins by referencing Martha Stout’s depiction of a sociopath from her book The Sociopath Next Door:

“Imagine – if you can – not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken… You can do anything at all, and still, your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences, will most likely remain undiscovered.”

Using this framework, Schwartz explores how Trump’s actions align with such a profile.

One striking example Schwartz discusses is Trump’s claim of winning 18 golf club championships. Investigative sportswriter Rick Reilly found these assertions to be “pure fiction.” Reilly reported that Trump often cheats at golf, taking unwarranted extra strokes (mulligans), interfering with opponents’ balls, and manipulating scores. Schwartz quotes Reilly’s conclusion:

“Trump doesn’t just cheat at golf. He cheats like a three-card Monty dealer. He throws it, boots it, and moves it. He lies about his lies.”

Schwartz argues that Trump’s behaviour is driven by an insatiable need to dominate rather than a desire for admiration. He states:

“For Trump, the choice between dominating and being loved – saving himself or saving others – is no contest.”

This perspective shifts the narrative from viewing Trump as merely narcissistic to considering deeper psychopathic tendencies.

A significant portion of the article addresses Trump’s alleged lack of empathy and conscience, Schwartz notes:

“Trump feels no more guilt about hurting others than a lion does about killing a giraffe.”

He cites Trump’s own words in response to actor James Woods’s tweet describing him as “vain, insensitive, and raw,” to which Trump replied:

“I think that’s a wonderful compliment. Thanks, James.”

Schwartz also touches on Trump’s relationships, suggesting they are transactional. He observes:

“Trump doesn’t appear to make heartfelt connections with anyone, nor to value relationships beyond the extent to which they serve his immediate self-interest.”

This is illustrated through anecdotes about Trump’s interactions with his family and associates, including his distancing from his long-time lawyer and mentor, Roy Cohn, after Cohn was diagnosed with AIDS.

Regarding love towards family, Trump doesn’t seem to know what is expected, famously praising his daughter Ivanka by noting she is “voluptuous and having the best body.” When she was 26, Trump told hosts of The View, that “If Ivanka wasn’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”

Schwartz adds, “Trump’s most emphatic declaration of love during the past four years has been directed at North Korea’s Kim Jung Un, one of the most ruthless dictators in the world. “I was being really tough, and so was he,” Trump said in 2018. “And we would go back and forth and then we fell in love. He wrote me beautiful letters. They were great letters, and then we fell in love.”

Further, Schwartz references the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, indicating that Trump exhibits many of its traits:

“By my count, Trump clearly demonstrates 16 of the traits, and his overall score is far higher than the average prison inmate.”

These traits include pathological lying, lack of remorse, and a grandiose sense of self-worth.

In discussing Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Schwartz expresses concern over the potential dangers of having a leader who may lack empathy and conscience during a crisis. He remarks on Trump’s minimal expressions of condolence and his tendency to prioritise self-interest.

Schwartz concludes with a call to action, emphasising the importance of recognising and addressing the challenges posed by such leadership:

“Understanding what we’re truly up against – the reign of terror that Trump will almost surely wage the moment he believes he can completely prevail – makes the upcoming presidential election a true Armageddon.”

Reading Tony Schwartz’s firsthand experiences on the eve of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, one is struck by a compelling and thought-provoking critique of Donald Trump’s character and its implications for the leadership of arguably the world’s most powerful potential peacemaker. While you might disagree with Schwartz’s conclusions, you can’t dismiss his firsthand observations.

You can read the full essay here.

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Roger Montgomery is the Founder and Chairman of Montgomery Investment Management. Roger has over three decades of experience in funds management and related activities, including equities analysis, equity and derivatives strategy, trading and stockbroking. Prior to establishing Montgomery, Roger held positions at Ord Minnett Jardine Fleming, BT (Australia) Limited and Merrill Lynch.

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