Written by Debbie Deland / vp@flnow.org
Model is based on F. Scott Peck’s “People of the Lie”
At the core of human evil lies malignant narcissism, Trump exemplifies this model:
- Self‑righteousness and strong will: He cloaks himself in moral certainty, convinced he alone can save America.
- Plausible, frequent lies: His presidency and campaigns have been built on a torrent of falsehoods, designed to confuse and destabilize.
- Chronic scapegoating: Immigrants, journalists, political opponents—Trump sacrifices others for his own gain, especially the vulnerable.
- Projection of hatred: He accuses others of dishonesty, corruption, while embodying those very traits, and unleashes hate on other groups.
- Denial of truth: From election results to climate change, Trump distorts reality to fit his narrative.
- Desire for control: He must dominate, overtly or covertly, never tolerating independence from allies or institutions.
- Lack of empathy: Human suffering is dismissed, mocked, or exploited for political theater. Without an ounce of caring, he allowed cuts to food programs, allowed cuts to SNAP, supported huge cuts in healthcare coverage in Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare, etc.
- Refusal to take blame: Responsibility is always deflected onto Democrats, Biden, the media, or “deep state” conspiracies.
- Greed and destructiveness: His sins are consistent, not occasional, and his impact magnified by his position of power like his purposeful destruction of our Federal Government, democracy, our value of the truth, and our strong regard for science.
The Call to Vigilance
Society must learn to identify the hallmarks of evil—not just in history books, but in our workplaces, families, and governments. Evil is not a myth, nor is it confined to prisons. It is alive in leaders like Trump, who seek to dominate, scapegoat, and destroy the spirit of others.
The antidote is exposure: shining light on lies, demanding accountability, and refusing to let chaos masquerade as righteousness. Only then can we protect life and liveliness for marginalized people and our democracy.
In Closing
Trump is a case study in how malignant narcissism becomes personal and political evil. And unless we confront it directly, we risk repeating history’s darkest mistakes. It is time we call Trump out as Human Evil clearly and loudly. Trump is just a different flavor of evil like Stalin or Hitler. The Group Evil model should be up next.
