The Hare Psychopathy Checklists were administered to the voluminous data available on Don-ald Trump’s life.
Remember, for each item on the Checklists you assign a score of 0 (trait definite-ly not present); 1 (some data to support the trait); or 2 (trait definitely present).
On the Hare Psychopathy Checklist – Revised there are 20 items, so the range of scores is from 0 to 40. The average score for someone from the general population is 5. The average score for an incarcerated male is 22. The cutoff score for psychopathic personality disorder is 30. Donald Trump received a score of 32.
On the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Screening/Clinical version there are 12 items, so the range of scores is from 0 to 24. The average score for someone from the general population is 3. The cutoff score for psychopathic personality disorder is 18. Donald Trump re-ceived a score of 20.
Donald Trump meets the very high bar for diagnosis of psychopathic personality disorder on both checklists. Less than 1% of the population produces such high scores. The President, our President, is at the mercy of an extreme and dangerous condition.
Here are the specific ratings for the 45th President of the United States:
Hare Psychopathy Checklist — Revises (HCL-R)
- Glibness/superficial charm — 2
- Egocentricity/grandiose sense of self-worth — 2
- Proneness to boredom/need for stimulation — 2
- Pathological lying and deception/gaslighting — 2
- Conning/lack of sincerity — 2
- Lack of remorse or guilt — 2
- Shallow affect— 2
- Callous/lack of empathy— 2
- Parasitic lifestyle — 0
- Poor behavioral controls – 2
- Promiscuous sexual behavior – 2
- Early behavior problems – 2
- Lack of realistic long-term goals – 0
- Impulsivity – 2
- Irresponsibility – 2
- Failure to accept responsibility for own actions – 2
- Many short-term marital relationships – 1
- Juvenile delinquency – 1
- Revocation of parole – 0
- Criminal versatility – 2
Total = 32
Hare Psychopathy Checklist — Screening/Clinical Version (HCL:SV)
- Superficial/glib – 2
- Grandiose/boastful – 2
- Deceitful – 2
- Lacks remorse – 2
- Lacks empathy – 2
- Doesn’t accept responsibility – 2
- Impulsive – 2
- Poor behavioral controls – 2
- Lacks goals – 0
- Irresponsible – 2
- Adolescent antisocial behavior – 1
- Adult antisocial behavior – 1
Total = 20
To produce such high scores is to be set off from the great majority of the rest of us. Clinical psychopathy is a condition as discriminating and undeviating as a primary color. Yes, there are different shades of red, but no one should confuse red with blue or yellow. A creature is going to do what a creature does. Donald Trump has about as much chance of controlling his impulsive, remorseless and divisive behavior as a mosquito does of not drawing blood from sweaty revelers at a state fair.
He, and therefore we, are at the mercy of this disorder.
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