When Narcissism Becomes Megalomania
Tracking the Scary Deterioration of Trump's Mind (Vol. 6; Issue 4)
Several earlier essays discussed Donald Trump’s status as a malignant narcissist.* His behavior, of late, suggests a frightening regression into megalomania. A fairly rare subset of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), megalomaniacs display arrogance and grandiosity reaching delusional levels. They consider themselves to be specially chosen, even superhuman; they typically have a compulsive need to control.
Trump’s regression has three clear causes:
His advanced age (turning 80 in June 2026).
His appointing a cabinet replete with sycophants, unlike his first term where competent officials created guardrails.
His stature as president of the United States, a position of immense power.
Recent behaviors indicative of megalomania include:
1. Destroying the East Wing of the White House to install a “golden ballroom” to be named The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.
2. Adding his name to the Kennedy Center, formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. An action revealing megalomania by itself, the institution is now named the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.**
3. Establishing a Peace Board to resolve international conflicts (the UN’s job), naming himself as chair, and eliminating representatives from countries he dislikes, such as Canada.
4. Naively accepting the gift of Venezuelan activist María Corina Machado’s 2025 Nobel Peace prize offered in the hopes of him installing her as a leader of that country. (She obviously knows how much megalomaniacs crave flattery).
5. Linking his threats to seize control of Greenland to his failure to receive his arrogantly coveted Nobel Peace Prize.
6. Referring to himself as “the Chosen One” (one of the specific characteristics of megalomania noted above).
7. Installing the President Walk of Fame at the White House, wherein his rhetoric elevates himself and denigrates previous presidents.
The threats to the security of all American citizens by a megalomaniac serving as a US president are many. They include Trump’s endorsement of the recent injuries and murders caused by ICE agents who Gessen (2026) calls the new “secret police.” By causing ruptures in the world order in his relations with allies, Trump threatens the security of all global citizens.
The risks of having megalomaniacs in power has concerned historians from ancient to modern times. The premier Roman historian, orator, and politician Tacitus (116BCE/1996) predicted they would, at least initially, invite a “rush into servitude.” Great swarms of sycophants would embrace the “great man,” precisely what we see in the likes of ardent Trump aids like Stephen Miller. The flattery escalates and grows more fawning until every follower’s dignity declines and then vanishes.
Edward Gibbon (1776/1996), an 18th-century historian of the Roman Empire, describes how power aggravates such tyrannical behavior, writing:
Of all our passions and appetites, the love of power is of the most imperious and unsociable nature, since the pride of one man requires the submission of the multitude.
Will Trump succeed in requiring the submission of the multitude? Another historian of the same era, Edward Wortley Montagu (1759/2024), distinguishes between ambition and lust for domination. The former, potentially a laudable trait, can motivate people to serve the community, even if only to win public admiration. In contrast, the lust for domination, Montagu writes, causes us to:
draw every thing to center in ourselves, which we think will enable us to gratify every other passion.
The need to dominate, Montagu continues, “banishes all the social virtues.” The tyrant attracts only others who share his selfishness, who are eager to perpetually spread lies. J.D. Vance serves as a recent example. Previously calling Trump “America’s Hitler,” he is now a loyal admirer.
Post-ICE murder pronouncements by Trump and cabinet members like Kristi Noem, Vance, and Pete Hegseth represent precisely the types of lies these historians predict. Former Department of Labor Secretary Robert Reich calls for nothing less than a general strike as a preventative measure. In his January 25 Substack essay, Reich proclaims:
In memory of parents and grandparents who made the supreme sacrifice — in memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — we must bring down this regime. The first step is a massive general strike.
Trump’s committing extra-judicial murders, threatening Greenland (a NATO ally), detaining US citizens, intimidating protesters, encouraging defiance by lawmakers, disregarding judicial orders, refusing to accept election results, firing federal workers, and similar actions bring terror to the hearts of all Americans. Trump is, unequivocally, an untethered megalomaniac.
Denial and complacency run rampant. These defenses, these means of avoiding facing the immediate dangers to American democracy, must be overcome. The time has come for the types of strikes and protests that will lead to the fall of the Iranian theocracy. Let us hope they can lead to the fall of the autocratic dictatorship here.
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*Malignant narcissists combine traits of Narcissistic Personality Disorders (NPD), like grandiosity and entitlement, with those characteristic of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), like impaired empathy, manipulativeness, and sadism. Malignant narcissists display cruel, exploitative, and often abusive behavior, often deriving pleasure from others' pain.
**It was created as a memorial to President Kennedy. Does Trump not realize the incongruousness of a. inserting his name on an institution named to honor a former president or b. adding his name to a memorial while still alive?
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References
Gessen, M. (2026). State terror has arrived. New York Times. Published January 24, 2026.
Gibbon, E. (1776/1996). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (D. Womersley, Ed.). New York: Penguin Classics.
Montagu, E.W. (1759/2024). Reflections on the Rise and Fall of the Ancient Republics: Adapted to the Present State of Great Britain. New York: Lettel Books.
Reich, R. (2026). Sunday thought: Enough. Published January 25, 2026.
Tacitus, C. (116BCE/1996). The annals of imperial Rome (M. Grant, Trans.; Rev. ed.). New York: Penguin Books.