When His Admirers Leave, Trump Builds Monuments
Former loyalists can turn against him. Buildings bearing his name—and one extraordinarily devoted aide—offer more dependable affirmation.
A Beta Brain
I am a retired psychotherapist who writes a daily Substack about politics and political psychology, sometimes with satire and AI cartoons.
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Trump Is Monetizing the Presidency
His crypto empire turns political power into private wealth—and gives powerful interests a financial stake in keeping him beyond accountability.
So a President “Chosen by Jesus” Sends His Son-in-Law to Negotiate With Iran…
It sounds like the setup for a bad joke. Unfortunately, it is American foreign policy.
Trump Is a Chaff Machine — and the Media Keeps Locking On
I don’t give a two-penny damn about Natalie Harp. The rumored romance is gossip. Trump’s concession to North Korea is news
The One Thing Trump Cannot Tolerate—Especially From His Allies: Independence
Trump doesn’t merely expect support from his allies—he expects submission.
If History Won’t Make Room for Trump, He’ll Remodel It
His fixation on the Kennedy Center and Mount Rushmore suggests a desire not merely to govern America, but to rewrite its monuments around himself.
Trump’s Superpower Is Shamelessness: A Psychological Look
Healthy guilt can lead to remorse and self-correction. What happens when both are missing?
Trump's aircraft carrier decision tells us a great deal about how he thinks.
It involves something called processing fluency — and its implications go far beyond aircraft carriers.
The Karoline Leavitt face story has legs
The story is spreading, but I’m more interested in the psychology behind the picture.
Bonus Weds. Substack: The Real D-List
Kathy Griffin made the D-list a joke. Donald Trump turned it into a vocabulary lesson - about himself.
Regular Weds. Substack: From Island Battlefields to Carrier Decks
The Pacific war had a clear enemy and a clear objective. Can we say the same now?
Better Them Than Me?
Trump escaped a possible Iranian threat while reporters and staff remained aboard the decoy Air Force One.