Psychologist Dr. John Gartner, formerly of Johns Hopkins University, has issued stark warnings about Donald Trump's mental state, asserting that the former president has moved beyond mere grandiosity into what he terms "full-blown psychosis" and "dangerous delusions." Gartner's assessment, echoed across multiple outlets, points to what he describes as Trump's accelerating mental "deterioration," particularly as his political standing appears to waver. This has, in Gartner's view, rendered Trump akin to a "cornered, wounded animal," a state he characterizes as exceptionally "vicious and dangerous."
Gartner, who has spoken out about Trump's mental state previously, highlights several of Trump's public projects as evidence of these "grandiose delusions of power and worship." These include proposed vanity projects such as the 'Arc de Trump' envisioned across the Potomac River and plans to name a White House ballroom after himself. The psychologist suggests that this "magical thinking" could precipitate reckless actions posing a significant risk to the country. Gartner further elaborates that Trump desires "worship" and aims to "erect massive monuments to praise himself," citing as examples his name being placed on the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Institute for Peace, alongside proposals for his image on gold currency.
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Context on Delusions and Brain Function
Separately, a piece from July 2023 in Psychology Today explored the neurological underpinnings of delusional thinking, suggesting that it may not always signify severe mental illness but could represent variations in inherited brain circuitry. The article contrasted reasoning styles, noting that religious believers are more inclined towards intuitive and heuristic thinking, engaging "bottom-up processing" through more ancient brain systems. Conversely, non-believers, identified as atheists or agnostics, tend to employ more deliberate, analytic reasoning via "top-down processing" involving higher cortical areas. This research suggests different cognitive pathways may be involved in belief formation and interpretation of information.
