A Balloon Afloat on Self-Produced Helium

I was once appointed chair of a government task force on daycare. It was soon obvious that I knew zip! about daycare. Before becoming more embarrassed than I already felt, I was quietly relieved of my duties - a good thing for all, including me. 

US President Donald Trump has been chairing a daycare committee for 3-1/2 years. That daycare committee is his sometimes slippery grip on governance. It appears he’s not very good at it, but he won’t let go. 

Unfortunately, he’s the baby in the daycare center - a mendacious bully who pouts, has temper tantrums, doesn’t apologize when he’s wrong, and speaks in simple, oft-repeated words and rambling phrases, so that it’s often impossible for a careful listener to follow the bouncing ball. 

Trump’s impeachment might have been a gateway to showing him the door, but almost every Senate Republican found his behavior acceptable.

Describing Trump as a sociopath and a malignant narcissist, more than a few accredited psychiatrists share that opinion. What are the hallmarks of a sociopath? Sociopaths have deep-seated rage; are glib and superficially charming; lack empathy for others’ feelings; and often make impulsive decisions with no guilt for the harm they cause.

And malignant narcissists? Their traits comprise an extreme mix of narcissism, antisocial behavior, aggression, sadism, a grandiose sense of self, and unrealistic beliefs in their own powers and abilities. Always “right,” they’re flashpoint-ready to raise hostility, undermine families and organizations, and dehumanize their associates. 

Malignant narcissists are manipulative and self-serving. As pathological liars, they con others without shame, remorse, or guilt. Having only shallow emotions, they lack the ability to love, craving stimulation through such outlets as promiscuity and shouting.  

Again, more than a few accredited psychiatrists ascribe these traits to Trump. I’ve never met Trump and am not a psychiatrist. What I am is a person interested in words, which is how I came to take a closer look at Trump’s.

To do this, I randomly chose the transcript of the Friday, March 27, White House briefing during which Trump, Vice-President Mike Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force responded to reporters’ questions about the virus’ progress and handling. 

On reading the transcript, I noticed Trump’s frequent repetition of numerous simple words and phrases. And so I started counting. Speakers sometimes repeat words because they’re afraid they didn’t make themselves clear or that their audience didn’t understand a particular concept. 

Repetition can be a highly effective speaking technique. Unfortunately, Trump’s lean toward the chaotic, unscripted, and pointless.

Numerous repetitions can reinforce “the Big Lie Technique,” in which an audience comes to accept a lie told many times as truth. “Lock her up!” and the suggestion that President Obama was born in Kenya are two of many examples. 

Good speakers often use the repetition of short, snappy sentences of parallel construction to make a positive impact on an audience. Sadly, a speaker in cognitive decline can find repetition a safe haven, feeling more at ease with tried-and-true phrases and familiar linguistic patterns. 

  

The joke among reporters is that when Donald Trump says: “Believe me ...” (which he does often), you can safely assume Trump’s lying:

“What we’ve done, nobody can even imagine. And, by the way, I’ve had governors tell me, including Democrat governors - they said, ‘We can’t believe you’ve been able to do this.’” When Trump combines self-grandiosity with a dubious  statement, I visualize a balloon, afloat on self-produced helium, ready to pop.

As for those many words and phrases I found …? Not surprisingly, “I” topped the list with 289 references. When Trump didn’t have a ready answer to reporters’ questions, his response 17 times over was: “We’ll see/We’re going to see/We’ll see what happens,” etc., etc., etc. 

Tomorrow: A closer look at the repetitions in that transcript. 

©  Nicole Parton, 2020