How to Use Trump’s Narcissism Against Him? Starve Him of Fuel

Photo by Maureen McLean/Rex/Shutterstock

This article builds on insights from Part 1: “The Overlooked Strategy to Defeat Trump: Exploiting His Narcissism.” Reading the first piece will improve your understanding.

In my previous post, I wrote about the “Silly Bones” strategy: throwing Donald Trump silly provocations he can’t resist. Narcissists like Trump are compelled to react when their ego is threatened.

But are there other ways to capitalize on his narcissism?

Yes. One of the most effective is depriving him of the fuel he craves.

Before we head on to that, let’s be clear about our goal:
to make Trump do as little harm to the world as possible.

Our goal is not to bring him down. That would take a lot. What we do is use his narcissism to keep him distracted.

By “we”, I mean anyone in an open society with access to the Internet. But I especially call on journalists, comedians and public figures.

Now, let’s talk about how we can deprive Trump of fuel.

Starving the Narcissist: “No Fuel for Him”

What narcissists fear more than death is not getting any attention.
To be deprived of what is called narcissistic supply or fuel.

Narcissists are as dependent on attention as a drug addict is on drugs. Hence narcissists, will walk over the dead and the wounded to get their fuel.

Trump is no exception. He needs fifty barrels of fuel, particularly from the media, to get out of bed in the morning. “How many times do they mention my name? - What do they say about me?”

So, what can we do to give him as little fuel as possible? Here are 3 major things.

1. Don’t mention his name.

Don’t mention his name. Not even the word “president” unless you have to. Replace “Trump said” with “The White House stated…” or “ The government announced…”

2. Don’t share any pictures.

Avoid sharing or printing his image.

Imagine Trump’s meeting in the White House with a gang of dictators —XI, Putin, Kim and the lot. And no pictures of him!!!

It’s not enough for his supporters to share his image—he craves legitimacy from mainstream platforms. Especially from a prestigious outlet like The New York Times.

He will rumble for a day or two and not get anything else done. Fine. That is what we want.

3. Ignore events.

For journalists and media outlets: Skip his press conferences.

Even in a room full of suckers, he will seethe if his adversaries aren’t there. No CNN, CBS or New York Times to show them who is boss.

- “Why aren’t they here? Can I arrest them?”

For everyone else: Resist sharing any clips of his speeches or staged events.

The less attention his events receive, the less impact they have.

You may wonder: Isn’t “No Fuel” the opposite of the “Silly Bones” strategy I wrote about? How can we give him as little attention as possible while also throwing him silly provocations?

I’ll give you an answer to that.

Combining Strategies: “No Fuel” and “Silly Bones”

“To a narcissist, like a drug addict, it [fuel] is about survival”, says Darlene Lancer in Psychology Today.

Hence, think of Trump as a drug addict. If we combine a “No Fuel” regime with showers of “Silly Bones,” he will resemble an addict in abstinence being dealt dirty drugs.

No Fuel = Painful abstinence
Silly Bones = Dirty drugs giving him bad trips.

An Addict in Abstinence

His browsing for attention will grow more and more erratic, day by day — “Where is my name??!! Where are the pictures!!”

In between, his feeds are full of reminders that he will soon be old and forgotten, that Putin thinks he is an idiot and that his real father is an orangutan. — “What??!! &%#!!”

The outbursts will escalate in volume and frequency.
He will flail, scream and bluster, take it out on his staff
—and do no harm to the world.

Even Trump’s most loyal lackeys won’t understand his orders. Apart from providing him with Kentucky Fried Chicken.

What About the Risks?

“But isn’t this dangerous? You may wonder. “Won’t he drop a bomb, order mass arrests or do something worse in this agitated state?”

There is a danger. But there is a danger he will do that no matter the state he is in.

And another appetising outcome of this “No-Fuel-cum-Silly-Bones” strategy may emerge.

The Internal War in the Oval Office

A war among Trump’s gangsters will likely break out.

They might have a low-intense war going on already, but when sniffing the boss’ imminent collapse, they will start sparring for more power.

Vance, Musk and Bannon will sneak around in the Oval Office, snarling at each other. Pardoned Giuliani may lurk in a corner like a Uriah Heep being “so very ‘umble’,”while the orange man babbles on the phone to Vladimir, the only one who can understand him.

No major decisions will be made. And that is our intention.

But how should we put all this into action?

A Mass Movement

To make this work, we need collective discipline. The “No Fuel” strategy requires the discipline of a nonviolent resistance movement. The “Silly Bones” campaigns require an organisation on par with mass demonstrations.

And you, Americans, may with good reason be afraid he will come after you. Hence, you will need to involve your brothers and sisters here in Europe and other parts of the world.

We all have a common cause: Make that man do as little harm to the world as possible.

I have read dozens and dozens of articles and listened to as many interviews about how to handle four more years of Trump. Sadly, not a single one has mentioned his narcissism, or how to use it against him.

Trump’s Achilles heel is his narcissism, and that is our best chance to debilitate “the Donald.”