Dr.
John Gartner sheds light on the deteriorating mind of a president who
wants to be worshipped by all, even if he can't quite navigate his own
disordered universe.
There’s
a fine line between a grandiose personality and a psychotic break, and
according to Psychologist Dr. John Gartner, it seems Donald Trump has
sprinted past it. John joins me once again on The Daily Beast Podcast,
where we not only discuss a certain politician with a big ego, but we
also talk about how that same man has traded reality for a messiah
complex. From AI-generated “Jesus” imagery to a visible decline in
executive function, John argues we’re witnessing a full-blown "medical"
state of delusion in real time. Let’s get into it:
Messiah complex:
We’re moving far beyond standard political theatre and into the realm
of a genuine “psychological emergency.” This week reached a fever pitch
when we saw Donald Trump “portraying himself through AI as Jesus Christ,”
a move that reveals that the President is “psychotic.” John uses this
term in the “medical sense,” referencing the Psychoanalyst who
originated the diagnosis of malignant narcissism himself, Erich Fromm.
According to Fromm, a malignant narcissist becomes "so grandiose that
it's psychotic, that they have delusions of grandeur," and John believes
Trump has gotten to that point...
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Dear reader,
China may be an atheist state but Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo and
portrayal of himself as a Christ-like figure were met with disbelief in
the country. Trump’s lack of respect for the leader of the world’s 1.4
billion Catholics reflects a complete lack of restraint and the
depiction of himself as Jesus is beyond laughable. For many, the US
president's eruption of ego also points to an equally great internal
failure. In Chinese philosophy, too much pride on the outside is a sign
of profound weakness on the inside – and an inability to reconcile
reality with self-delusion. Not the kind of impression you want to make
just before a summit. For a deep dive into the US-Israeli war on Iran, read our three-part series on the impacts of the conflict and the lessons China can draw from it.
The Big Picture
Strait forward
Trump says he exchanged letters with Xi Jinping on the Iran war and that the conflict will not derail his visit to Beijing.
Why it matters: the US risks becoming entangled in a forever war when its main strategic focus is China
“Time
is on Iran's side. They can afford a stalemate, whereas the US cannot.
Despite suffering heavy losses, Iran is willing to bear a higher cost
for the sake of strategic
patience.”
Niu Xinchun, director of the China-Arab Research Institute at Ningxia University, weighs in on how much Iran could endure in the war with the US and Israel
Punchbowl News is a membership-based news community founded by journalists and best-selling authors Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer, and co-founded by veteran Capitol Hill reporter John Bresnahan.
We’ll focus relentlessly on the people in Washington who make decisions, and on the news and events that will move political markets.
Punchbowl News events will bring you closer to the news, and help you better understand Washington’s leadership. Punchbowl is the Secret Service nickname for the Capitol. Our credo is Power, People, Politics.
Welcome to The Readback, our
weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week – a quick
roundup of all our scoops, analysis and Capitol Hill insight you won’t
find anywhere else. We’ve also included a few of our favorite outside
reads from the week.
Testy testimony. Whenever OMB Director Russ Vought comes to Capitol Hill, he often draws a big crowd.
This week was no
exception. Vought testified at both the House and Senate Budget
Committee to packed rooms. He and lawmakers delivered on what the crowds
were expecting: lots of partisan bickering. Yet even so, there was the
occasional surprising glimmer of bipartisanship.
When I showed
up at the House Budget Committee hearing on Wednesday, there was
already a line stretching down the spacious hallway in the Cannon House
Office Building. Every seat inside was filled. Even though it was 90
degrees outside, it felt even hotter inside. Temperatures were already
rising.
Off the bat, House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) predicted the hearing would be more “amped up” than usual. That was mostly true. Protestors interrupted Vought
just a few minutes into his opening statement, yelling, “PEPFAR saves
lives.” The Trump administration targeted PEPFAR, the bipartisan
HIV/AIDS prevention program the Bush administration created, for cuts in
a rescissions package last year. Capitol Police quickly escorted the
protestors away.
The House hearing lasted just over three hours. House Budget Committee Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) quickly clashed with Vought over the impacts of the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Boyle, at one point, said one of Vought’s responses was “laughable.”
But there were small points of agreement. When Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.)
pressed Vought on the administration’s disbursement of disaster relief
funds, both Chu and Vought agreed that Building Resilient Infrastructure
and Communities (BRIC) program funds need to be disbursed. Vought said
he agreed that BRIC funds shouldn’t have been canceled. Arrington
quipped that they should just end the hearing on that note, with
agreement between a Democrat and Vought.
The hearing continued, though. Surprisingly, only Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)
asked when the Trump administration will send a supplemental funding
request for the Iran war. Vought said he didn’t have a ballpark number
or a timeline on when that would happen.
There are plenty more
budget hearings on deck for next week. Vought is done with his tour of
Capitol Hill, but we’ll likely get similar fireworks from Health and
Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. when he makes his appearances soon.
What I’m watching: I’m locked in on “Summer House,” given all of the off-screen drama that’s been happening. If you need someone to talk to about Scamanda, I’d love to chat.
– Samantha Handler
You can find The Readback in your inbox every Saturday at 8 a.m. And don’t hesitate to reach out to readback@punchbowl.news with feedback. Enjoy The Readback.
In case that particular metaphor wasn't clear, on Thursday night Trump
shared an AI-generated parody music video on Truth Social with Vought
portrayed as the grim reaper, set to altered lyrics of Blue Oyster
Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper.
