After reading Mary L. Trump's book, I almost feel sorry for the man.

The sociopaths/narcissists/psychopaths in the Trump family killed him with relentless emotional abuse (mostly neglect).

-Laelth

That is one terrible, tragic and sad story. It shows how hard it is to defy a Trump.

He was just the family scapegoat, and it cost him dearly.

-Laelth

Just like he didn’t feel sorry for his niece, Mary Trump.

-Laelth

Some were able to overcome those beginnings and others were not. I'm sorry that any child, even Donald Trump, has a shitty childhood, but that does not excuse the bad things that they may do as adults.

I feel compassion for the thirteen year old Donald Trump, but that those feelings are completely separate from the issue of his dangerousness to our country and our planet, and that my priority had to be removing him and holding him accountable for his crimes. And I think we can appreciate the awfulness of growing up in that household but still appreciate his fundamental brokenness and dangerousness.

But I get where you're coming from. My mother was interested in how I reconcile my activism and anger against Trump with being a Buddhist. There actually is no contradiction, but it's not easy to explain.

Robert Thurman, Uma's dad and a practitioner and teacher of Buddhism, has written about this issue and the compatibility of feeling compassion and anger simultaneously for someone who is a threat to humanity. I sort of have to block out my compassion when I'm in the heat of battle, as we all are now.

He was the spoiled, rotten brat who got whatever he wanted. His other siblings were neglected and abused.

-Laelth

turn out to be self-centered, hate-mongering, ignorant twits.

This is a man who seems to have no joy in his life. His only pleasure, if you can even call it that, comes from putting down anyone who opposes him, which his father apparently taught him is winning - and losing is completely unthinkable. He doesn't seem to enjoy music or art; he doesn't go to plays or concerts; he doesn't appreciate nature; he doesn't even like pets; he doesn't read anything but news items about himself; he has no real friends, just toadies and hangers-on; his wife doesn't seem to especially like him and all of his wives have been nothing but arm-candy for him (and he cheated on all of them); his relationships with his oldest children are weird, to say the least, and he seems to have none at all with the youngest; he has no hobbies other than golf, at which he cheats because he always has to win; and he's so absurdly vain that he is said to need two hours to do his hair and makeup. Everthing is superficial. He has to have the biggest, the best, the most expensive, the most ostentatious because he needs everyone to know that he's rich. His NYC apartment looks like Versailles redecorated by Saddam Hussein's pimp. He spends every waking hour fretting about the possibility that someone else might be richer, more powerful, more appreciated, more valued, and it drives him crazy. I can't imagine a more miserable existence. But in the process of trying to fill the bottomless black hole of his ego he is causing immeasurable damage, even killing people. So, yes, he's a sad, wretched specimen, but I can't bring myself to feel sorry for him except maybe in the Buddhist sense of compassion for all sentient beings.

Perhaps that is a product of his childhood, but most people do the work it takes to get past their childhoods.

But this man hasn't done his prescribed homework, so every day he looks in the mirror and is slightly disgusted by himself. He tries to hide it with the appearance of wealth, a combover, long ties, and trophy wives. But doesn't work, he still hates himself. His critics just remind him why he hates himself and that is why he lashes out. It is a treadmill that he cannot stop.

It is unfortunate that he suffers so much. It is even more unfortunate that he channels that suffering to hurt others. But he can stop the suffering it if he wants. Many others have.

Unfortunately he's making the rest of us live in his attic.

yelling at the TV. But he actively sought a position of great power so he can inflict his pain and anger on the entire country, even the world.

Fuck Trump and his whole family.