Donald Trump Activates Reptilian And Emotional Brains In Both His Supporters And Enemies, Psychiatrist Says
In an analysis for The San Francisco Chronicle, Dr. James S. Gordon, a psychiatrist and clinical professor at Georgetown Medical School, put a magnifying glass on the psychology of Donald Trump and the way he allegedly appeals to people’s most primal instincts.
According to Gordon, Trump uses “provocation and contraries” to appeal to his supporters, and both his conduct and facial expressions “reflect and amplify” the most primitive parts of human biology and behavior. While Trump reportedly taps into the “remorseless struggle for survival” that stems from the reptilian brain, Gordon says he also taps into “fears, rages and insecurities” of the emotional — or limbic — brain.
Gordon noted that Trump reacts to even the smallest challenges as if they are life-threatening.
“Preoccupied with self-protection and the annihilation of real or imagined enemies, he’s cruel to the vulnerable, submissive to the powerful, fearful of the different.”
Additionally, Gordon highlighted Trump’s infant-like need for constant attention and tendency to throw tantrums when he’s ignored or frustrated. Later in the analysis, Gordon notes that Trump has a similar effect on the reptilian and emotional brain in those who oppose him.
“We too feel endangered, but by Trump himself,” he wrote.
“His gross self-regard and utter disregard for the truth, his contempt for the vulnerable and minorities, his flouting of democratic norms and his indifference to our collective health and safety and our childrens’ future: all these are deeply destabilizing. They provoke our fear and rage, but may also galvanize us to oppose him.”
WATCH: Two psychoanalysts on how the psychology of a bully applies to #Trumphttps://t.co/cyEpfGA8wX
— Bridge Project (@BridgeProject21) August 29, 2016
Gordon the only psychiatrists to share his opinion on Trump’s mental state amid the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to Salon earlier this month, Yale psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee claimed that Trump is putting lives at risk with his response to the health crisis. She also accused Vice President Mike Pence of enabling Trump’s purportedly dangerous behavior, which has also been criticized by many amid the COVID-19 panic.
According to Lee, the coronavirus is just one such threat that Trump’s mental health could affect. Lee suggested that the new nuclear arms race and the danger of climate change could also be worsened in the face of a leader with Trump’s psychology.
As reported by The Inquisitr, New York Times columnist David Brooks recently appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and claimed that Trump’s inability to empathize with other people is holding back his administration’s response to the coronavirus. Brooks noted that caring for loved ones during a crisis is human nature. Trump, he claims, cannot feel the emotions of others and therefore, can’t read the country.
