I came across that quip referring to United States President Donald Trump the other day and could not help thinking that it has actually come to that. One of the most powerful men in the world shows every sign of being certifiable. You do not need to be a psychiatrist to observe that, although many of them have. And sadly, it gets worse, week by week.
As time goes on, I think the straw that broke the camel’s back will be the picture that Trump originally posted on his own social media network that has since gone viral, depicting himself as Jesus Christ. One does not need to be a Christian to know how wrong that was or how many people it would offend.
Whether Donald Trump arranged for that picture or someone else did doesn’t matter. It would not have been on Truth Social without his knowledge and consent. And there is little doubt that he was thrilled with it because it would appeal to his deity complex, one that is spurred on by some of his ‘spiritual advisors’ who publicly portray him as Christ-like.
Time after time, since he first became President of the United States, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he truly believes there is no one greater than himself. It is all about him. He is convinced he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. He named the Kennedy Center after himself; he covets, indeed, he seeks personal recognition and adoration wherever he can find it. He revels in Cabinet meetings where every member of that body attempts to outdo each other in their tributes to him, because they know that is what he most wants to hear. Shades of North Korea.
Anyone who challenges Trump’s perceived omnipotence is an enemy and a target. He depicts the Obamas as apes, highly respected former Senator John McCain as a loser because he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam and he celebrates the death of people like Robert Mueller, former Director of the FBI. He threatens people he dislikes with jail and thrives on revenge politics.
The cherry on the cake is when Donald Trump took on Pope Leo XIV, who, whether you belong to his flock or not, holds one of the world’s most important and respected positions related to integrity and morality.
No doubt, some comments made by Pope Leo over the past few weeks that certainly appeared to be directed at him were not well received by Donald Trump. They got under his skin to the point where Trump and his cronies could not resist fighting back.
Should the Pope have kept his mouth shut then, and again when he said this in Africa just a few days ago? “Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers, but woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain.”
Should Pope Leo have stayed silent on that as well? There are many who will think so. At least equally, there are those, regardless of their religious belief or their apostasy or their political partisanship, who look to moral, as well as political leaders, to speak out forcibly and urgently when dangerous and unacceptable boundaries are crossed that affect mankind.
One can have their own opinion about whether Donald Trump was right to go after Pope Leo for his comments. What is strikingly of more importance, however, and far more revealing and concerning, is that part of that response was a depiction of Trump as Jesus Christ, making himself greater and more important than the Pope. Doubling down on his ingrained belief that no one is greater than him. This is no joke. It is embedded in his persona.
That is when the rubber hits the road. That is where the problem lies, and that is what makes Donald Trump one of the most dangerous men in the world. He believes only in himself, which is not only delusional but also unhinged.
A consequence of that is that the United States, under Donald Trump’s leadership, has fewer and fewer real friends. Alex Stubb, President of Finland, generally a supporter of Donald Trump, says, “I think at the end of the day the United States will find themselves in a lonely place.”
Russia and China were never friends of the United States. On top of that, right now, there is a dilution of respect and support from significant nations, especially in the Western world. This includes not just Canada, but also countries like Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Baltic nations and now, even Hungary.
Almost singlehandedly, Donald Trump has succeeded in disrupting much of the world and changing the narrative, at least from his perspective, to himself alone. The global stability of the past six decades is disappearing.
Almost every week now, something happens that causes many people, especially those who are not drinking the Kool-Aid, to question Trump’s sanity and his fitness for one of the most powerful offices in the world. To many, that combination in a single individual poses a clear and present danger.
Some believe that the mid-term elections scheduled this November in the United States will bring President Trump to heel. I am not so sure of that.
When someone is angry and bitter and feels cornered, they become more dangerous than ever before, especially if they are somewhat out of whack to start with. One should never underestimate Donald Trump’s intelligence, but neither should one underestimate his venom and unhinged behaviour when his back is against the wall.
If the midterms appear to be on the verge of changing the balance of power in Congress, Trump will do one of three things. He will do everything he can to disrupt that election, and if that doesn’t work and the election results do not turn out to his satisfaction, he will move mountains in an effort to invalidate them. Legalities will only matter if they are on his side.
The third possibility is that he simply won’t be there. If things are inevitably going down the drain, something will intervene, health issues, family matters, or what have you. The election results will be someone else’s fault. Donald Trump never loses. In his eyes, it is just not possible.
There are also signs that Donald Trump’s latest move against Pope Leo and the depiction of himself as Jesus are the last straw.
George Conway is a well-known conservative lawyer and was an active Republican for many years. For a time, he was married to Kelly-Anne Conway still a key advisor and supporter of Donald Trump. George Conway has since turned against Donald Trump and is now running for the United States Congress as a Democrat. This is what he says now.
“Trump is destroying his own base. He is destroying his own credibility. He is destroying his own power. And even though that means he is going to be more dangerous because he’s going to be more desperate – I think we can see a path – a difficult path – but a path that can be transversed with great determination.” It would not surprise me if more and more U.S. citizens who voted for Donald Trump, even some within the MAGA cult, are coming to the same conclusion.
In my view, Donald Trump is now either very evil or very ill. I tend to lean toward the latter. But in either event, it is he who constantly demonstrates that he should not be anywhere near the reins of power in the United States. It begs the question of why the United States Congress is failing the American people, and, for that matter, many parts of the world, by not doing something about that, as only they can. The alternative is another two and a half years of Donald Trump.
And that is really frightening. The man is six cans short of a six-pack.
Hugh Mackenzie.
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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-What I have been thinking for sometime now. I agree with all this and also wonder what the future holds. We live in a remarkable period of history – but, sadly, won’t see what historians write about it in 50 years.
I agree with this assessment of Trump. It’s not just his dysfunctional personality that should worry us, it’s the influence and importance that the US has in the world that’s in the hands of a leader who is both irrational and feels himself infallible. But, while the US political system of government does not have the ability to render him totally impotent, they do, at least in theory, have a structure that can limit his power and reach. In some ways Trump’s example should serve as a wake up call for Canadians.
In contrast to the US, we have a system of democracy where the people with the power and responsibility to keep our PM accountable, (MPs, GG, judiciary, head of the RCMP, and to some extent, the senators) are all reliant on that PM for their careers, their income, their benefits and their pensions. Any challenge to the PM runs the risk of an abrupt end to their career. The power to run our country is all concentrated in one person. That’s an extreme weakness of our system and one that can, and is, abused by those that have assumed power here.
It’s become a Canadian trait to feel smug when comparing ourselves to the US, but instead we should be looking at what’s happening south of the border more critically and learn from it. Canada does not have the same clout in the world that the US does, but regardless of how we vote here, allowing one person to assume that much control over our future without adequate, effective checks and balances, results in a government that’s not accountable to the people of Canada – which, unfortunately, is exactly what we’ve seen in recent years. So, while Trump is an easy target for ridicule and a real source of concern for the world, we in Canada should not be feeling superior or complacent with our own situation, especially if the person in charge, like Trump, is more focused on retaining power than doing the right thing.
Yes Kathryn. Trump is great.
Why I like him.
1. Convicted felon.
2. Compulsive liar.
3. Assaulted a woman in a change room.
4. Make Canada the 51st state.
5. January of 2025 said he would crush Canada’s economy.
6. Tarriffs
7. Didn’t know King Charles is the king of Canada. Duh.
8. Used the F word on Easter Sunday.
9. Will wipe out Iranians.
10. Said the Pope is okay with Iran having a nuclear bomb.
I could go on.
Do you still like Trump ??
William said Trump is a good golfer. Sure he is. Because he cheats. I saw two guys interviewed that have golfed with Trump and both confirmed he cheats. If he doesn’t like the lie, he moves the ball with his foot.
If the MAGAS think Trump is God, why don’t they crucify him ans see if he rises up after the 3rd day.
At least Donald Trump tells you what he is going to do and then he follows through. NOT LIKE THE LIBERALS WHO HAVE PROMISED WATER TO THE INDIGENOUS, A PIPELINE, HOMES AND SUPPORT FOR OUR VETS. LIBERALS ARE ALSO MESSING WITH WOMENS RIGHTS WITH ALL THE TRANS STUFF. I WILL TAKE TRUMP ANY DAY.
We must remember that Trump is a spoiled kid and a failed cassino operator with a massive, outsized ego. He was put in that position and is controlled by selfish billionaire fossil fuel tycoons, enabled by the so called “Citizens United” law governing US election campaign contributions.
The global scene is far too complicated for Trump’s feeble mind. He knows nothing about history or geography or science, and he doesn’t listen to people who do know. Trump is twisting himself inside out to support causes that are bound to fail. But just as the people of Hungary soundly tossed out Trump’s buddy Victor Orban, US voters will do the same to Trump. Better sooner than later.
Spot on Hugh. What we’re witnessing in Donald Trump goes well beyond bluster. His slide from malignant narcissism into something far more erratic is visible to anyone willing to see it. Yet JD Vance and other cabinet figures appear unwilling or unable to act through the constitutional safeguard of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The real question isn’t just about Trump. It’s about the people around him. Will his enablers, from MAGA loyalists and much of the Republican Party, continue to defend and follow him, even if he pushes toward a third term? Time will tell.
We tend to focus our outrage on Trump himself. But the deeper failure lies with elected officials who refuse to uphold their constitutional responsibilities. That’s where the real erosion is happening.
For context, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is defined by grandiosity, a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy and all are traits that can deeply distort judgment and relationships and all (plus some additional disorders) are exhibited by Trump.
At some point, plain language matters: there is a deeply unstable individual occupying the Oval Office and too many people are pretending otherwise or they are pretending to pretend it is otherwise!
Couldn’t agree more. We just have to sit back and watch Trump self destruct. Oh….you forgot to mention what a great golfer he is. In his mind that might be more important than being God!