2016 June 8^th

Some things are beginning to sort themselves out: Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee and Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee, at least pro tem.

Lots of the Republican cognoscenti are unhappy with Donald Trump’s tendency to, as some say, “run his mouth.” This has now reached the point where these leaders believe Trump should apologize to Judge Curiel for claiming that the judge could not be fair in adjudicating the suit brought against Trump’s “University.” This judge’s brilliant history of courage against Mexican drug cartels is well known but that makes no difference to Donald Trump. Trump is sure the judge’s ethnicity keeps him from being fair in this situation, And Trump has said this over and over again.

Trump’s tendency to flee from what he considers political correct speech has his handlers very worried. (Trump is, in fact, often politically correct: He is careful to refer to African Americans as African Americans, but then he ruins it by referring to one man as, “My African American over there.”) It is possible that Trump really doesn’t understand the effect his language has—or maybe he does understand but he doesn’t care. Not caring about the effect you have on others, the inability to empathize, is one of the symptoms of psychopathology. A classic instance was his mocking of a reporter he didn’t like who was afflicted with palsy. An eight year old would have had the maturity not to do that.

Last night, after winning New Jersey, Trump gave an unusual victory speech. Of course he usually gives victory speeches but this one was read from a teleprompter. Trump has taken great pride in his avoidance of this device and has ridiculed those who rely on it. What happened? It can only be conjecture, but the received wisdom is that his children and other handlers finally got him to realize that if he continued his thoughtless remarks, such as his tirades against Judge Curiel, he would lose the election—thus the teleprompter.

When someone’s behavior is out of control because of drugs, or because of some mental aberration, the remedy is a straitjacket. This device constrains the patient so that he/she cannot harm themselves. The teleprompter is a metaphorical straitjacket for Donald Trump. What happens when he decides he doesn’t want to wear it any longer? The mental problems that required it haven’t gone away so it’s only a matter of time before Trump hurts himself again.