Diagnosing the Ol’ Pussy Grabber

I have said numerous times that the Ol’ Pussy Grabber is easy to predict based on my very own armchair diagnosis, and, therefore, easy to manipulate. The thing is that a good diagnosis predicts the course of the disease. In the case of the United Fucking States of Fucking Stupid with the Ol’ Pussy Grabber grabbing the gobment by the pussy, the diagnosis is we’re fucked and the prognosis is that we’re even more fucked. But, maybe we all want a few more specifics on the fucking that we are taking and are going to take for the foreseeable future at least until we can convince Congress to get its head out of the Ol’ Pussy Grabber’s ass or at least start complaining about the smell instead of praising it as being rose scented!

The Ol’ Pussy Grabber is an ineffective malignant narcissistic personality disorder. The danger of such a person was just demonstrated in the revelation of classified information about ISIS to the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, in the Oval Office no less. The same visit (a) that no American press were admitted to, (b) that the Russian state news agency, TASS, was admitted to and allowed to take pictures, (c) that the Tass and foreign ministry published those exact same pictures having tricked the White House, and (d) that may have resulted in the planting of listening devices in the Oval Office. You know, that meeting.

What Now Trump?

All of this took place the day after the firing of FBI Director James Comey because of his investigation into the ties between the Ol’ Pussy Grabber and Russia. Is the Ol’ Pussy Grabber deaf, dumb, and blind? How could all of this outrageous scandalous treasonous criminal behavior be taking place right under our very noses and every bit of it recorded and broadcast around the world?

Like I’ve said, the Ol’ Pussy Grabber is predictable and, therefore, manipulable if you understand his particular diagnosis. There are two mental ailments that the Ol’ Pussy Grabber has that are of particular import here: a deficit in executive functioning and a narcissistic personality. Perhaps the more revealing of the two in this situation is his executive functioning.

Executive Functioning

Can Trump Pass the Marshmallow Test?

Executive functioning describes those cognitive skills that allow us to regulate our behavior so that it helps us achieve our goals and meet our needs. It includes the ability to control your emotions, plan and prepare for activities, control your impulses, manage your time, focus your attention for extended periods of time, and see things from other perspectives. All things that in the past two years the Ol’ Pussy Grabber has amply demonstrated that he cannot do.

If the Washington Post story is to be believed, he was bragging to the foreign minister about the high quality of his intelligence briefings. I’m sure the conversation went something like this:

I get the best intelligence briefings, Sergei, believe me. They’re beautiful. You wouldn’t believe me, the Ol’ Pussy Grabber boasts to the room in general taking the minister by the arm to guide him to his empty desk.

I am sure that in Mother Russia all of our intelligence briefings are better, counters the minister in his thickly accented English perhaps his KGB senses tingling telling him that the game is afoot.

No, no Sergei. I have some really great people who brief me everyday with great intelligence. They’re really great. You’d like them. Believe me. The best!

I bet you did not know that Vladimir Putin admires your pussy grabbing so much, he calls you the Ol’ Pussy Grabber! the minister challenges him with an elaborate wink to the ambassador as if to say, “watch this!”

What? Really? momentarily taken aback by the revelation. But, the Ol’ Pussy Grabber’s surprise is quickly recovered and he begins to feel the warm glow of praise and adulation wash over him. “Putin has noticed him after all!” Well… yes I knew that. Vlad told me so just the other day. He’s told me on three separate occasions how much he admires my pussy grabbing and calls me Pussy Grabber all the time. It’s his nickname for me! I don’t like to talk about it, the Ol’ Pussy Grabber continues sure that he is impressing the minister with his familiarity with Putin and how much he knows. Our intelligence is the best in the world, Serge. You’re not going to out do us! We know everything!

So, do we, replies the Sergei slowly with a deep resonating confidence.

No, Serge, for example, I bet you didn’t know <insert code-word info here> that we just got from <insert name of Middle East city here> about how ISIS is going to put explosive on planes in laptops! the Ol’ Pussy Grabber swells with pride in his own knowledge sure that the Russians are now very impressed. After all, only a very important man would know these details, and he hadn’t even forgotten them!

Ah you are right, you Ol’ Pussy Grabber! Lavrov replies slowly saying every word with an exaggerated roll of each r. Your intelligence is the best! You’ve gotten the better of us again, he continues allowing space to open up between each word signaling to everyone in the room that he using heavy sarcasm but the orange beaming grinning face before him tells him that the Ol’ Pussy Grabber is taking it at face value. With a great negotiator like you at the helm, what chance does simple Russian boy have? As if on signal, the entire entourage begins edging for the door. Oh, and Mr. Putin has instructed me to tell you to call him Mr. Poopy Nappy next time you speak. It is nickname only those close to him can  use. 

I’m sure it went very similarly as that.

Executive Functioning

The problem with the Ol’ Pussy Grabber is that he cannot keep straight in his head what he can and cannot tell people, what is classified and what is not, and the degree to which it is classified. Worse, though, his narcissism won’t let him take instruction or hints from anyone. You just can’t tell him a gottamn thing.

In order to manage all of that classified information in your head, you need to compartmentalize your memory. It’s like knowing that your best friend is having an affair and you meet their spouse. Of course you’re thinking about it, but you know not to say anything. But, to maintain that vigilance would take concentration and focus. Concentration that he not only doesn’t have, but that he finds annoying to exert and rebels against the requirement.

Briefings, Readings, and Winging It

When presidents talk to other high-ranking government officials, especially on official business, they are briefed about the issues, goals, what’s important, and probably even things not to say. The Ol’ Pussy Grabber doesn’t have the short-term memory capacity to commit any of that to memory, so he ends up winging it most of the time. And, according to aids, he doesn’t read it anyway. Perhaps nothing says it better than this unnamed official quoted in the Washington Post article:

“He seems to get in the room or on the phone and just goes with it, and that has big downsides. Does he understand what’s classified and what’s not? That’s what worries me.”

The bits and pieces that did by some miracle make it into his longer-term memory just bubble up and burst forth all willy-nilly. You’ve seen him in interviews. He doesn’t have any control over what comes out of his mouth. He doesn’t know what he’s going to say until well after he’s said it. In Lester Holt’s interview with the Ol’ Pussy Grabber, he said that when he thought of firing Comey, he thought of the Trump-Russia affair and that it was fake news. He said that he had decided to fire Comey, and when the memo from the deputy attorney general came in and recommendation from AG Sessions, he decided to do it. He had decided it himself and would’ve done it without their intercession.

What is Truth?

We don’t know if that is true or not. It could’ve happened like everyone else at the WH said it had: the memo comes in. Sessions recommends terminating him. The Ol’ Pussy Grabber signs the letter. Or it could’ve happened like the Ol’ Pussy Grabber said in his interview: he decided to fire Comey. The memo comes in. Sessions recommends firing. The Ol’ Pussy Grabber signs the letter.

I’m willing to bet that the Ol’ Pussy Grabber (a) doesn’t know which one is true any more; (b) believes the second one is true now that he’s had to repeat it to himself several time; and (c) thought of it in that moment that Holt asked the question.

For the Ol’ Pussy Grabber truth is whatever his emotions tell him is true at the moment. Which is to say, whatever he feels is true at the moment. There is no independent absolute truth for him. Truth is relative to his emotions and needs. And that is because he lacks the fundamental skill of using his rationality to direct, contain, and constrain his emotions.

Narcissism

Duty to Warn

His narcissism means that he has to be adulated and praised at all times. It means that he must be the center of attention. It means that he must be the best and the brightest. So, with Russia’s foreign minister in the room, the Ol’ Pussy Grabber is with a true expert and is afraid of being exposed as the empty shell that he is. So, he’s got to work extra hard to sound intelligent and informed — he never does, but you can always tell when he’s trying, amirite?

That need to be seen as something he’s not, causes him to make claims that are plainly wild exaggerations. It was operating in the Oval Office that day when he sold out an ally to his ego, which is the best way you can put it. He needed to seem like the top dog, the best informed, the guy who knew things, so he’s jabbering about intelligence and Oopsie! before you know it, there it is said out loud for all to hear and Gen. McMaster’s head is exploding and the Russians are running to the secure telephones.

#Resisting Authoritarianism

His narcissism will not let him learn from his mistakes. He cannot bear being wrong. It is too threatening, so he has to blame others. It’s like the conflict of interest thing, The President is exempt from conflict of interest, therefore, I can engage in collecting emoluments. The President can release classified information in the moment, therefore, I can tell an enemy state classified information anytime I want. He cannot see the subtlety (that’s his poor executive functioning) of it and he cannot take responsibility for it.

While the exposure of classified information is done at the prerogative of the president, this incident demonstrates that the Ol’ Pussy Grabber is not capable of being Commander-in-Chief. It is clear that he is a danger to each and every one of us. And, if this doesn’t make that clear, it can only be because of information avoidance and cognitive dissonance.

Sadly, this is as good as it gets. The Ol’ Pussy Grabber will only be able to do more of the same. His poor executive functioning makes him chaotic. We will always be mired in chaos. His admin is understaffed and inexperienced, so they won’t be getting much done anytime soon, either. He keeps them plenty busy trying to sort out his mishegas. His narcissism makes him combative. He can only fight. He cannot cooperate. He will fight with Congress every step of the way. He’ll fight with allies. He will never get anything done because of it. His narcissism makes him afraid of being found to be an incompetent. He will never work with anyone for fear that they will realize what a nincompoop he is. He will never get anything done.

It is incumbent upon all of us to keep pointing out the aberrations in behavior, the incompetencies, the abnormality, the craziness so that it does not become normal. We cannot normalize this kind of behavior. Call your Congress representatives and senators. He will hurt us and hurt us badly. And worse, he will be completely oblivious to the lives he destroys.