Long social media rants are hardly rare occurrences for President Donald Trump, but on Thursday, he posted a particularly striking ― and lengthy ― tirade against several right-wing personalities who have expressed their disagreement with his actions on Iran.
Using words like “losers,” “nut jobs” and “troublemakers,” he targeted once-close allies like media personalities Megyn Kelly, Alex Jones, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump also called them “low IQ,” “nasty” and “crazy,” and attacked their looks and intelligence as he lashed out in response to their criticism of the war in Iran.
This kind of public outburst can feel troubling and disproportionate to the situation, but there’s a term that may help explain it: narcissistic collapse.
While Trump has not, to public knowledge, received a formal diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, experts say he has displayed behavioral patterns consistent with narcissistic traits.
“Narcissistic collapse occurs when a narcissist’s carefully constructed self-image is threatened or shattered, often by criticism, public humiliation, perceived abandonment or a loss of control,” said Tina Swithin, author of “Divorcing a Narcissist: One Mom’s Battle.”
