Megalomania

Megalomania: A delusional mental illness that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur: Merriam-Webster Dictionary online.

On April 15, 2020, we published a post entitled "A Glossary of Mental Instability" documenting, in our opinion, symptoms of various mental instabilities evident in the speech of Donald Trump. It was far too long and complex for this medium, and we apologize to any visitors who found it inaccessible.

We are therefore going to republish posts dealing with only one or two symptoms per day, beginning here with megalomania, which we believe to be the most pressing.

The original foreword follows, with edits:


I am neither a physician nor a practitioner of psychology. I am an intelligent person with an informed layman's grasp of medicine and psychopathology. I believe I have seen several signs of mental instability, and possibly mental illness, in Donald Trump, the president of the United States.


The material below has been excerpted from the transcript of a presidential Coronavirus press briefing held April 13, 2020. The entire transcript can be read at
https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-coronavirus-press-conference-transcript-april-13.

I have not altered the text in any way that changes its meaning. I have removed elapsed time markings and other non-text material that could impede smooth reading. I have also used yellow text to emphasize clearly delusional thinking. None of the statements in yellow have a Constitutional basis.

Please note some of the terms used: Total power, as in totalitarian; and Absolute Right: A legally enforceable right to take some action or to refrain from acting at the sole discretion of the person having the right (FindLaw online legal dictionary).

--Diogenes, 4/16/20


R=reporter; T=Trump

MEGALOMANIA

R: Mr. President, thank you, sir. . . . my question to you is what provision in the Constitution gives the president the power to open or close state economies?
T: Numerous provisions. We’ll give you a legal brief if you want.

R: The states that have closed, ordered schools closed, it’s been states that have ordered businesses like restaurants and bars and place-
T: That’s because I let that happen, because I would’ve preferred that. I let that happen. But if I wanted to, I could have closed it up. But I let that happen. I like the way they’ve done it.

R: Yes, Mr. President. Following up on that, there are two consortiums of states today, California, Oregon, Washington on the West Coast, Northeastern states, totally representing about a hundred million people, who said they’re going to cooperate and decide when to reopen those states.
T: Well they can decide, but-
R: Does that undermine what you’re trying to do?
T: No, not at all. Let me just tell you very simple. I’m going to put it very simply. The president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The president of the United States calls the shots. If we weren’t here for the states, you would have had a problem in this country like you’ve never seen before. We were here to back them up, and we’ve more than backed them up. We did a job that nobody ever thought was possible. It’s a decision for the president of the United States.
    Now, with that being said, we’re going to work with the states, because it’s very important. You have local governments. They’re pinpointed. It’s really, you talk about… It’s like a microchip. They’re pinpointed. We have local government that hopefully will do a good job. If they don’t do a good job, I’d step in so fast. But no, they can’t do anything without the approval of the president of the United States.

R: Just to clarify your understanding of your authority vis a vis governors. Just to be very specific. For instance, if a governor issued a stay at home order-
T: When you say my authority, the president’s authority, not mine, because it’s not me. This is when somebody is the President of the United States, the authority is total and that’s the way it’s got to be.
R: It’s total. Your authority is total?
T: It’s total. It’s total-And the governors know that.
R: What does the authority cover?
T: The authority of the President of the United States having to do with the subject we’re talking about is total.

R: Has any governor agreed that you have the authority to decide when their states [crosstalk 01:27:32]?
T: I haven’t asked anybody because-
R: That no one is [crosstalk 01:27:34]-
T: You know why? Because I don’t have to. Go ahead please.
R: But who told you the president has the total authority?
T: Enough. Please.

R: But you said from the standpoint of the constitution.
T: Yes, the constitution.
R: You thought it should be up to the governors.
T: You can look at it constitutionally, you could look at federalism. You can look at it any different way. John, the fact that I don’t want to exert my power is much different. We have the power. You asked does the federal government has the power? The federal government has absolute power. It has the power as to whether or not I’ll use that power. We’ll see.
    John, I would rather work with the states, because I like going down to a local government. That’s why, with I guess it’s now seven states, not eight, because South Carolina did. They went away from what we discussed the last time, so that’s why I looked at the individual states. They’re doing a very good job. They’re really doing a very good job. I’d rather have them make the decision. Now, the fact that I’d rather have, that’s fine, but I have the absolute right to do if I want to.