Psychotherapist: Trump’s Obsession with Biden Reflects a ‘Bad Relationship’ Dynamic

Psychotherapist and lawyer Nick Carmody recently weighed in on Donald Trump’s peculiar fixation with President Joe Biden, particularly during Trump’s recent policy address on the economy. Carmody likened Trump’s behavior to dynamics often seen in a “bad relationship,” where past grievances are continually rehashed.

On Thursday, Carmody responded to a question posed by neoconservative Bill Kristol on X, who had noted Trump’s apparent obsession with Biden. Kristol observed, “Maybe psychologists can explain the degree of Trump’s strange identification with or co-dependency on Biden. In fighting Biden, Trump seems to have come to identify with him, so that’s how he now takes Biden’s failure as somehow a premonition of his own failure. Interesting if weird.”

While acknowledging the limitations of diagnosing someone based on public appearances, Carmody offered insights into what he sees as Trump’s “obsessive inability to let go of Biden… and the criticism surrounding Biden not running.”

Carmody explained that Trump’s behavior is reminiscent of someone in a toxic relationship where years of resentment have built up. “First, anyone who’s been in a bad relationship where years of resentment builds up has experienced the phenomenon where the current action/statement the other person is criticizing you for isn’t really about the current action/behavior,” Carmody noted. He suggested that the current situation provides Trump with an opportunity to channel pent-up resentment and contempt.

He continued, “If you step right (in the non-political sense), you’re criticized for not stepping left. And if you had stepped left, you would have been criticized for not stepping right. It’s not about which direction you step, it’s about exploiting the opportunity to criticize/attack you.”

Carmody also highlighted how the Republican Party has heavily criticized Biden’s age, often portraying him as a “Weekend at Bernie’s”-style puppet. With Biden potentially out of the race, questions about age and capability have now shifted to the 78-year-old Trump.

Furthermore, Carmody argued that Trump’s “Cluster B personality disorders” led him to create alternate realities when actual events threatened him or challenged his distorted sense of fairness. According to Carmody, Trump has managed to avoid facing consequences for his behavior throughout his life, thanks to his resources and the people who have enabled him.

Carmody concluded that Biden’s potential exit from the race has “destabilized” Trump, leaving him struggling to adapt to the changing situation.