STUMPDIGIT, SOUTH CAROLINA — In 1983, Fred Trump told an interviewer that his son Donald “was a pretty rough fellow when he was small.” But as a board member of Kew-Forest School, daddy Trump couldn’t allow Donald’s behavioral problems to go um, “unpunished”; he fixed that behavior problem by sending little Donnie off to a correctional facility military school, the New York Military Academy.
During his senior year Trump wore a uniform, “winning” the rank of captain.
[T]he moment 17-year-old Donald Trump was named a captain for his senior year at New York Military Academy, he ordered the officers under his command to keep strict discipline. Shoes had to be shined. Beds had to be made. Underclassmen had to spring to attention.
Then he disappeared into his room, delegating authority for his minions’ behavior to his officers. Not what you would call a “hands-on” sorta guy; (what with those stumpy digits and all).
Long story short, it depends on who you believe to determine just what shade of rose Captain Donnie‘s glasses were. And Ima let you sort that feces out for yourself. But it’s no surprise that there are real differences in the way a classic narcissist remembers things, and the way, shall we say, more normal people who were also there, remember.
I’m struck by the simplistically self-absorbed way Trump talks about himself, his own inarticulate braggadocio notwithstanding, that he “Has the best words.”
Some quotes from Miller’s article about Trump’s “military service” as a high school kid/cadet, are instructive and revealing.
“I had total control over the cadets … that’s why I got a promotion — because I did so good.”
“Total control.” Over fifteen and sixteen year old boys. He did sooo good. Except for a hazing incident by some under his command—which apparently got him transferred away from command.
Trump claimed the transfer “…was a promotion for me, and it was a demotion for [the other guy].” Anyone who knows something about real military culture— not military prep school— or what is widely known as common sense, knows that a desk job under the watchful eyes of your superior officers is generally not seen as a step up from the command of living human beings. A sailor, for instance, would simply tell you: “You got shit-canned.”
Although it’s hard to know how Trump‘s family wealth had anything to do with it, some think it did. “He was definitely privileged,” said Douglas Reichel, who was a year behind Trump at the academy and a member of A Company. “That group of people got treated much differently. They got promoted each year.”
“I did very well under the military system,” Trump says. “I became one of the top guys at the whole school.” A training officer at the school who became Trump‘s mentor, says Trump “…wanted to be number one. He wanted to be noticed. He wanted to be recognized. And he liked compliments.”
“I was always good at that school,” he said.
Indeed. One of the “top guys.” Using the “best words.” Because he just did “so good.”
“Take a look at the pictures. I’m standing at the head of the whole place.”
Yes. Do take a look at the pictures; see that “top guy” character just leap off the photos, into your head, boring right through your cortical overlay. Because:
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance [standing at the head of the whole place], a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism [he was promoted— not transferred].
A Narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships [multiple failed marriages], work [I did so good], school [demoted? out of the barracks], or financial affairs [multiple bankruptcies]. You may be generally unhappy and disappointed when you’re not given the special favors or admiration you believe you deserve [and lash out at EVERYONE]=. Others may not enjoy being around you, and you may find your relationships unfulfilling. —The Mayo Clinic
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No, Donald Trump never knew Clark Kent, ya putz. But pictures— “look at the pictures,”— i.e., photographs— show 17 year old Captain Donnie was actually thin. The cartoon, on the other hand, is a considerably altered digital copy of a Superman cartoon, that shows a more metaphorical image of rough little Donnie’s emerging character.
