Jeri Jacquin

Open on Limited Virtual Cinema release and coming to all digital TVOD and Cable TVOD Platforms from director Dan Partland is the documentary #UNFIT: The Psychology of Donald Trump.

This week began the Republican National Convention and I felt compelled to watch this documentary before diving down to see how far the rabbit hole goes. Understand that this is just my opinion, but the last few years have been like a bad dream I just cannot wake up from. Now, with the pandemic, it is just a slap in the face of a nightmare feeling like we are never going to wake up.

To be out front, I am not a member of any political party. I support who I want to support based on who they are and their ability to help people for which they were elected to do.  I have known since Trump was running for office that being elected would only bring disaster. I wish I had a dime for every time I said it because I would be richer than Trump was before becoming President.

So, diving into the documentary imagine my surprise that there is not a sweet and lulling introduction but BAM-in-your-face-here-it-is-buckle-up-buttercup ride into madness created by Trump. Asking the question ‘is Donald Trump fit to hold the office of President of the United States?’, #UNFIT takes us into the psyche, condition and stability of Trump.

Director/producer Partland says of the documentary, “There are those who will say that the film is partisan and preaching to the converted. It is not partisan. All of the partisans interviewed have sterling conservative credentials and have set aside their commitment to party and ideology to speak out for the ideals of democracy and the rule of law. But the firm is surely preaching. It’s preaching to anyone who will listen. Sadly, that may be the very few that aren’t already Trump critics, but regardless, the goal of the film is also to provide language and a framework for lay people to benefit from the decades of science and research that studied these behaviors.”

From day one, Trump wanted to make sure the world knew how big and impressive he is no matter that evidence proves otherwise. Beginning with how many people were at his inauguration, Sean Spicer would be the first to spit out lies. Followed by Kelly Ann Conway, former campaign manager for Trump, who called it “alternative facts” and continues until recently.

Her husband George Conway is a Republic and co-founder of the Lincoln Project. Hopeful that Trump would be the president he wanted; it quickly became clear that there was nothing to stop him from misusing his newly elected power. The question quickly comes to Conway that something could be wrong with Donald Trump and, in a sense, it became personal.

Dr. John Gartner, Princeton University, John Hopkins University, author of The Hypomanic Edge and Founder of Duty to Warn. Gartner believes that Donald Trump is unfit to hold office, but he is not the only one. Lance Dodes, M.D., Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst, looking at compulsive and addictive behavior. Also, Justin Frank, Harvard University, former Professor at George Washington University and author of Trump on the Couch who also says no believing he is a psychopath among other titles. Of course, in saying so, Fox News had a field day going after what these doctors believe.

Using the Goldwater Rule, in 1964 Barry Goldwater went to court fighting what the psychiatrist said and won. Freudian techniques and a long list were not used well then and was more of speculations than fact. Trying to use it to suppress speech now from those who actually know, it quickly brings these doctors into focus because they have more facts now than they did in 1964.

Bringing all the lies Trump tells in this documentary is rightfully scary bringing the label of malignant narcissist. He personally attacks people when things do not go his way and has no guilt or anxiety about what he does. Dr. Gartner believes that he falls into the same category that George Conway believes and the four categories are narcissism, paranoia, anti-social personality disorder and sadism.

Also, in this conversation are those who have allowed Donald Trump to continue on his path of destruction. I think they should be held just as accountable so its nice to hear through this piece that I am not alone. Trump takes the stage when ever possible to tout his own accomplishments but the problem with that is that there are facts that prove otherwise.

The doctors begin to take apart piece by piece what Trump has been doing all his life and what he continues to do to our nation. Anthony Scaramucci speaks about his time as Communication Director and says Trump is a reflection of the anger of the country and uses that to his advantage. “He is a reflection of our politically correct society”. Meeting him in his younger days, it became clear that Trump was a womanizer in so many ways and never changed.

In his early years on the Charlie Rose show, he openly admitted that he does not mind ‘wiping the floor’ with people and if they are not loyal you pay the price for that. Who would know that that very thing would come into play in the years up to James Comey. There are issues of cheating, lying, stealing and continues to happen but now in a more powerful position (most recently with the Hatch Act being decimated).

Malcolm Nance is retired US Navy and author of Defending ISIS who believes in the core values of honor, courage and commitment and service above self. He knows that these are important in leadership. Trump making attacks on social media does not show signs of a good leader, instead they show a man who throws fits and doesn’t know how the government should work. He does not put the country first but instead worries about himself.

An example was Charlottesville and standing up for “very fine people” who were upset about the removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee. Bring in Steve Bannon who thinks he knows the history of racism and was with Trump’s inner circle. An example the documentary uses is that of Mussolini and his attack of the press which seems oddly familiar. Cheryl Koos is a Professor of History and she shares Hitler’s rise to power and using another race for everyone’s problems. Trump does so with immigrants yet claims he is #1 with the Hispanic community. Twisting it to fit his own narrative and say it enough time to make it his reality.

Trumps ‘friendships’ with Bolsonaro of Brazil, Erdogan of Turkey, El Si-Si in Egypt, Haftar in Libya, Duterte of the Philippines, Putin of Russia, are considered the rise of charismatic leaders who spread false narratives to scare people. These leaders scream loud enough forcing people to listen to the attacks made toward who ever is in their way and they are believed.

The ‘football’ that authenticates nuclear codes is always carried with Trump. Believing the military would have to follow the orders of the President, that is a strong fear. Threatening other countries is something he enjoys doing so the stakes are high that he has that ability and showing it by withdrawing from the INF treaty and three other nuclear disarmament treaties.

Boasting the American Dream is dead, Trump told people during the 2016 elections toting that he would ‘Make America Great Again’ brings in the psychological hook that helped him win the election. If that was not enough, he brought in non-existent problems to add more fear to the heap Americans were already subjected too. Doing so is the ‘us vs. them’ mentality.

Now, the pandemic. COVID-19 shows even more that Trump refuses to rely on experts to tell him what could be done to help Americans. Instead, he hides behind the ‘we have this under control’ and Americans are dying. Telling the press that ‘we are doing great’ is another untruth when you see how many people are dying as he keeps saying ‘we need to go back to work and school’. As a grandmother I am horrified that the man calling himself a president would think sacrificing children is okay because Covid-19 eventually “it will just disappear”.

Conway says, “It’s about him, it’s not about the country. He is detached from reality, he is demented” and there is enough evidence to show that is true. He attacks the press on a daily basis because they call him out about what is really true versus what he wants us to believe. That is where we are now, waiting for November 3, 2020 to see if this will continue down a path of uncertainty and fear or will our country, our democracy and our faith in one another come through so we can heal.

I do not know about the rest of you, but I am tired, so very tired. Tired of making masks, tired of not being able to sleep, tired of watching my 5-year-old granddaughter become socially awkward, tired of not seeing my almost 2 year old grandson, tired of not seeing people face to face who truly need uplifting and tired of wondering what madness our government will inflict upon its citizens next. Yes, actually I’m exhausted.

I am not saying I do nothing because that would be giving into the disaster we are in. No, we must find a way to help as much as possible. I do not care if it is giving a homeless person a happy meal to get through the day, we all are responsible to help those who are affected and are falling fast and trust me when I say I know so many and it breaks my heart. We can not rely on a president who cares more for his speeding golf cart than he does the American people.

Partland brings it full force with “mental health professionals speaking on the record in this film are doing so knowing that their comments are at odds with their professional association, but they are commenting nonetheless out of an equally important ethical rule of the APA of the mental health professional’s ‘duty to warn’ the public when they see imminent danger.

That is what we are in, each of us, imminent danger. That is why we do not sleep at night, that is why we are conflicted and find making the simplest life situations difficult. That is why watching this documentary and really digesting it will help. I feel like I have been supported in my own beliefs from total strangers. I also know that his documentary is going to outrage Trump (and in some ways that makes me smile, sorry) and his followers (not sorry).

The recent Republican National Convention should have convinced the world that malignant narcissism is also contagious with the vile lies that covered the nation for four days. Again, I am of no party but I know filth when I hear it because my mama didn’t raise a fool.

Remember ‘evil thrives while good men do nothing’.

Thanks Mr. Partland for making me feel sane again!

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