Could Trump's destruction of the US be as simple as self hate?
This is all speculation, but the other night, this thought just hit me. I was watching a video about Trump’s many business failures. At one point, he was completely bankrupt and deeply in debt. I tried to put myself in his mindset—how traumatizing that must have been for someone who came from such status and wealth.
Imagine being the son of a highly successful father, yet failing at most things in life. Trump knows his wealth was handed to him. He knows he would be far richer today if he had simply taken his father’s money and invested in index funds instead of failed real estate deals, casinos, airlines, universities, etc. He even had to go to Russia for loans because American banks saw him as too risky.
Deep down, he probably understands that his presidency is just a facade. He knows that the only people who believe he was a good president are, for the most part, uneducated and not bright. People like this are rarely truthful with themselves, but on a subconscious level, they are aware of their failures. That subconscious awareness fuels their rage, leading them to lash out and tear down anything that makes them feel inferior.
Think of school shooters—they feel inferior at school, so they seek to destroy whatever they associate with that pain and self-loathing. Trump’s insane tariffs have no logical explanation beyond a desire to tear things down. There is no real strategy, just destruction. The tariffs are not even reciprocal—he had to manipulate the numbers so badly that some of them are applied to countries with which we actually have a trade surplus. It’s all nonsensical, and in my opinion, it seems to come from rage.
This got me curious enough to ask ChatGPT to examine this assumption.
My question to ChatGPT: If Trump knows deep down that he is a failure, what is the psychology of someone who hates them-self and subconsciously lashes out at the world because they hate them self? Could this explain why Trump seems to be hurting the U.S. on purpose?
ChatGPT
That’s an interesting psychological angle. If Trump—on some level—knows he's a failure, it could create deep insecurity and self-loathing, which could then manifest in destructive behavior toward others. This aligns with certain psychological theories about narcissism, self-hatred, and externalized aggression.
The Psychology of Self-Hatred and Destructive Behavior
People who harbor deep self-loathing often cope in ways that project their internal pain outward. In Trump's case, if he subconsciously sees himself as a failure, he might deal with that through narcissistic defenses, including:
Projection – Blaming others for his own shortcomings. If he fears being weak or a loser, he calls others weak or losers to push those feelings away from himself.
Destructive Impulses – A person who hates themselves may engage in self-sabotaging behaviors. If they have power, they may sabotage those around them as well. Trump’s actions—whether undermining democracy, attacking institutions, or fostering chaos—could be an unconscious way of externalizing his own perceived inadequacies.
Vindictive Behavior – People with low self-esteem but high aggression often seek revenge on the world they feel has wronged them. If Trump feels he has been "unfairly" criticized or rejected, he may want to tear things down as payback.
The Need for Control – If someone feels deeply insecure, controlling others can be a way to compensate. Trump’s obsession with dominance (whether over the media, the courts, or political opponents) might stem from inner instability.
Does This Explain His Actions Toward the U.S.?
If Trump feels unworthy deep down, he might:
Subconsciously resent the country for not fully embracing his delusions of greatness.
Tear down institutions because they remind him of his own failures.
Sabotage democracy because he fears being exposed as a fraud and would rather destroy the system than risk being humiliated.
This could explain why he doesn’t seem to care about the consequences of his actions. If someone hates themselves and feels fundamentally broken, they may not mind breaking everything around them.
It’s a speculative take, but it makes sense within the framework of narcissistic injury and self-loathing.
Editing to mention that Trump and Elon seem very similar in this manor. Elon was born into wealth, was fired by PayPal because they thought he was nuts. He make a huge amount of money from PayPal stock AFTER he was fired from the company. Deep down Elon may realize he has failed upward and perhaps that is why he is so destructive towards regular people just trying to make a living.
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