‘I sort of thrive on it’: The impeachment crisis shines a spotlight on Trump’s state of mind

Washington Post logoHe was hectoring and imperious. He was domineering and defiant. And he was audacious and cavalier.

In the three weeks since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) opened an impeachment inquiry, President Trump has struck a posture of raw aggression. His visceral defenses of himself — at the most vulnerable point of his presidency — have shined a spotlight on Trump’s state of mind.

Like an aging rock star, the president is now reprising many of the greatest hits from his hellion days. He has bullied and projected — at times leveling against others the very charges he faces — while simultaneously depicting himself as a victim. And he has turned to ominous depictions of America, and in moments sounded an authoritarian tone.

View the complete October 14 article by Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker on The Washington Post website here.