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The Psychology of Insecurity: How Trump’s Fear and Greed Threaten Our Democracy [1]
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Date: 2025-05-27
A psychologically fragile leader is poisoning
American values and democratic norms.
After decades of studying human behavior as a psychologist specializing in personality theory, I have learned that personality -- particularly its more destructive aspects -- can shape not only an individual’s life but also the course of an entire nation. When a leader is driven by deep psychological insecurity, and that insecurity fuels rampant fear and greed, the consequences extend far beyond the individual.
These traits distort the moral tone of leadership, destabilizing the democratic foundations on which our society depends. Donald Trump exemplifies the most dangerous expression of these destructive traits in modern American politics.
Trump’s time in office has left more than a political mark; it has sown a moral crisis. He wields power to protect his fragile ego, to reward personal loyalty, and to punish dissent. His manipulation of truth, his cruelty toward vulnerable groups, and his relentless attacks on democratic institutions all reflect a personality driven by an irrational fear of not being the center of attention and an insatiable hunger for affirmation.
Trump’s destructive behavior is not merely political dysfunction; it is a warning sign. When we fail to recognize how psychologically insecure leaders can poison a society’s ethical climate, we become complicit in our own undoing.
Fear and Greed Fuel Destructive Power
Donald Trump is certainly not the first leader to show signs of narcissism, but what sets him apart from other narcissistic leaders, past or present, is the particular “flavor” of his neediness -- its compulsive quality, its volatility, and the way it undermines his ability to lead effectively. His personality is not grounded in confidence or ethical principles, but in a deeply rooted sense of insufficiency and an internal void that no amount of praise, power, or wealth seems able to fill.
From a psychodynamic perspective, greed -- whether for wealth, power, or praise -- often emerges as a compensatory defense against deep-seated fear. The psychoanalyst Karen Horney described a “neurotic need for power” that masks anxiety and a fear of helplessness. Trump’s fixation on being the “greatest,” the “best,” and the “most loved” seems less like ordinary bravado and more like a desperate shield against his inner chaos of terror and self-doubt. His inability to tolerate criticism, his vindictiveness toward dissenters, and his obsession with his image all point toward an extremely fragile ego struggling to maintain control.
Trump’s greed is not limited to financial ambition. It extends to adulation, media dominance, and unchecked authority. These are the currencies of psychological survival for someone who feels perpetually under threat.
Trump’s Cult of Loyalty
Trump has not merely filled roles in his leadership team; he has built a power base consisting of individuals who mirror his own psychological traits and behavioral patterns of control. His appointments were not aimed at balancing his weaknesses or checking his impulses. Instead, they have reflected a deliberate strategy of surrounding himself with people who will echo his worldview, validate his instincts, and shield him from dissent.
Many of those elevated to high office in his administration appear to exhibit traits alarmingly similar to his own: opportunism, authoritarian leanings, and an aversion to accountability. What sets them apart, and perhaps qualifies them in Trump’s eyes, is their overriding loyalty to him – unfortunately, at the expense of democratic principles and institutional norms. This loyalty has become the central feature of his appointments, ensuring that those around him are not motivated by institutional integrity but by a shared allegiance to Trump’s worldview.
For example, the Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, has been accused of prioritizing personal loyalty to Trump over her constitutional duties, notably through her involvement in a legal case against the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, widely perceived as a retaliatory move. Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, has been instrumental in shaping Trump’s most xenophobic and fear-driven policies. Similarly, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host with limited military leadership experience, has advanced Trump’s agenda in ways that blur the line between national defense and political allegiance, raising concerns about the politicization of the Pentagon.
Seen through a psychological lens, loyalty-driven power structures are a defining feature of authoritarian systems. Leaders motivated by fear and greed often construct protective circles of enablers, what psychologist Erich Fromm described as “symbiotic submission,” where followers suppress their own autonomy in exchange for perceived safety and proximity to power. Such environments become echo chambers, reinforcing the leader’s worst instincts while systematically and insidiously eroding accountability.
The Ethical and Social Costs of Trump’s Authoritarianism
A leader’s behavior shapes a society’s ethical climate. When a president models bullying, dishonesty, and a disdain for truth, it signals permission for others to abandon decency and integrity in pursuit of power or personal gain. Albert Bandura, a social psychologist, wrote extensively about “moral disengagement” – the psychological mechanism by which individuals rationalize unethical, even criminal, behavior when it is modeled or rewarded by authority figures.
Under Trump’s administration, public discourse has grown increasingly abrasive and hostile. Misinformation has proliferated. And violence, especially political and racial violence, has become disturbingly normalized. What was once considered unthinkable or outrageous now appears tolerable to many. Trump’s approach to politics did not invent fear and division in America, but it unquestionably has amplified and weaponized them.
We are now witnessing the erosion of our institutions and the decline of our national character. Values like honesty, empathy, and cooperation have been discarded in favor of loyalty, dominance, and personal gain.
Dangerous Echoes of History
I raise this comparison with care. Undoubtedly, Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler. However, the psychological patterns that emerge in democracies with weakened institutions, threatened by authoritarian personalities, are worth examining.
Like Trump, Hitler was deeply insecure and was tormented by fears of failure, humiliation, and inadequacy. Historians and psychologists alike have noted how his need for control and supremacy was rooted in psychological trauma and rejection. He also cultivated a circle of enablers, demanded unwavering loyalty, and demonized dissent. Within a few short years, these traits, which were projected through policy and propaganda, totally reshaped the moral fiber of Germany.
In “The Authoritarian Personality” (1950), a groundbreaking work in political psychology, Theodor Adorno and his colleagues studied how certain personality traits -- rigidity, submission to authority, aggression toward out-groups -- make populations more susceptible to fascist ideology. These traits do not emerge in a vacuum. They are encouraged by environments where fear is stoked and moral clarity is blurred by authoritative leaders who promise safety in exchange for submission.
While we haven't yet reached the point Germany faced in the 1930s, history starkly reminds us of how quickly fear and greed can take hold in a society when they are allowed to dominate the halls of power.
The Moral Decay of American Institutions
This isn’t about political preference; it’s about integrity, democratic vitality, and ethical leadership. The personality traits of our leaders matter more than we often realize, not only because they shape policy, but also because they set the moral climate in which hundreds of millions of people live and act.
We must remain vigilant in protecting our institutions and nurturing the ethical and psychological resilience of society. This vigilance requires calling out corruption and cowardice when we see it and demanding both competence and integrity from those who seek power. Above all, it requires understanding that democracy is not just an abstract concept or a collection of hollow principles -- it’s a dynamic commitment to truth, compassion, and the dignity and respect of others.
Reclaiming Our Civic Duty
Everything in the United States (and even the world) appears to be unraveling at an alarming speed, and too many people seem unwilling to put up the kind of fight required to prevent authoritarianism and the institutionalization of corruption. Every American who recognizes the rapid degradation of ethical behavior, compassion, and fairness must speak out at every opportunity.
It’s time to demand personal accountability from Supreme Court justices and our representatives in Congress, who have effectively cowered in the face of Trump’s unbridled exercise of executive power. If our government is no longer acting in the best interests of the nation, it’s our duty as citizens to do whatever we can to stop tyranny in its tracks.
Those who stand by and applaud the government's malfeasance, rather than challenging its abuses, are not patriots; they are complicit in the dismantling of the very principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. True patriotism lies in holding our leaders accountable and safeguarding the integrity of our democracy.
To change the current destructive trajectory of our society and world, we must adopt more effective strategies to counter the pathological tendencies of those in power. Existing systems and safeguards are clearly failing, placing a moral obligation on all of us to find innovative approaches to confront this threat to democracy head-on and break the dangerous cycle before these corrosive patterns become irreversible.
If we do not take decisive action in this existential crisis, we are complicit in the erosion of democracy, allowing repressive forces to dismantle the sound principles on which our country was founded. The responsibility to protect democracy lies not just with our leaders, but with all of us. It's time to rise up, reclaim our moral compass, and restore the integrity of our government institutions before it’s too late.
What Our Choices Reveal About Us
If democracy reflects who we are, then we must confront a sobering truth: tens of millions among us still support a leader whose deep insecurities have placed our freedom -- and our very future -- in peril. The willingness of so many Americans to elevate such a divisive figure as Trump demands uncomfortable reflection.
Have fear, resentment, and greed so thoroughly shaped our national character that we are drawn to those who reflect these traits? If this is the case, the decay we see in our institutions is not merely the result of failed leadership but also a reflection of the underlying psychological struggles within our society.
If we have indeed chosen poorly, are we now condemned to bear the full consequences, or is it still within our power to change course? Democracy offers no assurances, only possibilities. The future remains open to those willing to reclaim it. The direction we take -- toward healing or further self-destruction -- will be determined by the courage, conscience, and character of our nation.
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