Constitutional Crisis Now: A Nation in Psychological and Political Chaos
Shrinking Trump
Really American Media
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 April 2025
⏱️ 119 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
In the latest episode of Shrinking Trump, Dr. John Gartner and Dr. Harry Segal dive headfirst into the psychological and political chaos Donald Trump is unleashing on the world. From his malignant narcissism to troubling signs of cognitive decline, the hosts break down how Trump’s behavior is reshaping America into an increasingly unstable landscape.
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Dr. Gartner kicks things off by revealing he almost titled this episode “Apocalypse Now”—a nod to the unfolding constitutional crisis, which they describe as riddled with pathological lies, defiance of Supreme Court orders, and dangerous authoritarian policies.
They tackle the Trump administration’s blatant disregard for legal norms, exploring how Trump’s persona appeals to autocratic world leaders like the President of El Salvador, and drawing eerie parallels to oppressive regimes of the past.
As leading psychologists, Dr. Gartner and Dr. Segal take a deep dive into Trump’s severe narcissistic personality disorder, which they say is the driving force behind his chaotic governance. They examine how his thrill in flouting the law and disregarding human rights is a symptom of his narcissism—which poses serious risks to the nation’s well-being.
But we also take a look at moments of resilience, like Harvard University’s bold stand against federal overreach. The hosts praise this act of defiance as a beacon of hope, urging other institutions to follow suit and push back against Trump’s threats.
Dr. Gartner and Dr. Segal issue an urgent call to action: stay vigilant, stay engaged, and fight for democracy no matter how you’re able. Every proactive step, no matter how small, helps chart a new course for America.
The episode is packed with warnings and unique insights, but it also inspires hope for a democratic resurgence. Be sure to subscribe, share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned for next week’s special episode!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm Dr. John Gartner. |
| 0:01.7 | And I'm Dr. Harry Siegel. |
| 0:04.0 | And welcome to another session of shrinking Trump. |
| 0:08.0 | This is our 48th episode. |
| 0:10.2 | And John, we've been doing this for a year. |
| 0:13.6 | And we warned and we worried and we argued. |
| 0:18.5 | And we tried to make it clear to everyone that Trump not only was wanting revenge, |
| 0:27.0 | not only did he wanted to dismantle the government, that he was going to sink NATO. |
| 0:32.6 | We said all these things, but as psychologists, we were also talking about his mental illness that's his |
| 0:40.0 | severe narcissistic personality disorder that's also called malignant narcissism which |
| 0:47.1 | accounts for his pathological lying his pleasure in destroying things his lack of genuine relationships with people. |
| 0:57.6 | And on top of that, we were worrying about signs of, well, early signs of dementia in him, |
| 1:05.6 | his inability to finish sentences, his disorganized speech. |
| 1:11.0 | And we kept trying to get people to pay attention. |
| 1:15.2 | And eventually, kind of they did. |
| 1:18.1 | But then he was elected. |
| 1:19.4 | And suddenly the world saw him as just another president. |
| 1:25.6 | But it's been almost 90 days. and he has wreaked more havoc on our systems, |
| 1:33.1 | on our government, on our citizens, on the economy of the world and our institutions of higher learning. |
| 1:40.9 | It's just been a wrecking ball. And here we are trying to make sense of it from a |
| 1:46.8 | psychological point of view, right, John? Yeah. Well, I feel like this is the moment we've been |
| 1:54.0 | worried about. I mean, I entitled the show, Constitutional Crisis Now. Originally, I thought apocalypse now, but I thought |
... |
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