Promises "problems" for critical news organizations

We have just received a signal of what Donald Trump, as narcissist-in-chief, would do under his authoritarian regime, by openly admitting that he would like to take revenge on news organizations that have been critical of him. He said when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money. It takes a bit of hubris to openly challenge the first amendment of the constitution, but there it is.

Trump is quickly becoming indistinguishable from Kim Jong-un or any number of narcissist leaders that have wrecked havoc on their enemies, imagined or real. Trump’s narcissism reminds me of an article I once read from Harvard Business Review. It’s really an excellent read and I recommend it.

…narcissists are extremely sensitive to criticism or slights, which feel to them like knives threatening their self-image and their confidence in their visions. Narcissists are almost unimaginably thin-skinned. Like the fairy-tale princess who slept on many mattresses and yet knew she was sleeping on a pea, narcissists—even powerful CEOs—bruise easily. This is one explanation why narcissistic leaders do not want to know what people think of them unless it is causing them a real problem. They cannot tolerate dissent.

Further down in the same article:

Many narcissists can develop a close relationship with one person, a sidekick who acts as an anchor, keeping the narcissistic partner grounded. However, given that narcissistic leaders trust only their own insights and view of reality, the sidekick has to understand the narcissistic leader and what he is trying to achieve. The narcissist must feel that this person, or in some cases persons, is practically an extension of himself.

…and who just recently endorsed Trump? None other than the appointed sidekick, Chris Christie. I was not unaware of the way Trump was studying Christie while he spoke. Trump was eyeing Christie like a strict schoolmarm would eye a not so clever student reciting his lessons as punishment for some prior infraction. One misplaced word and the switch would land squarely on his back. Clearly, Trump learned his lesson from his last sidekick, Sarah Palin, who could barely control her blather.

Obviously, there is some quid pro quo going on here between Trump and Christie. Christie, to give Trump some establishment credentials for the general election and Trump to give Christie a sweet position in his authoritarian regime. Imagine a Christie Attorney General pursuing indictments of Obama administration officials and plenty of “wag the dog” Benghazi-like spectacles to soothe and tame the right-wing base.

Two powerful and self-aggrandizing narcissists who will tolerate no criticisms and answerable to no one can do a lot of damage to the country, our treasury and our standing in the world.