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Friday
Whether or not Trump’s Manhattan trial sends him to prison, there is a way in which he is already experiencing some of prison’s agonies. In that way, he resembles the inhabitants of Dante’s Inferno, whose tormented afterlives are metaphorical versions of the hells they created for themselves while still alive. Hang on while I explain.
Dante’s psychological brilliance lies in the many ways he shows that sin itself causes suffering. People may think they are getting away with their behavior but they live in darkness. Those who are consumed with lust, for instance, are buffeted endlessly by violent winds (Paolo and Francesca) while those in the grip of anger either tear at each other incessantly in a dark marsh (active anger) or gurgle below the surface (sullen or repressed anger).
I owe my understanding of how the trial itself is hellish for Trump to his niece, clinical psychologist Mary Trump, and to fascism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Mary Trump observes that
even after only two days, it is nearly intolerable for Donald to sit there quietly. As he continues to hear disparaging comments, as he continues to submit to somebody else’s authority, the pressure will build. In some ways, I think this experience might be worse for him than jail.
The disparaging comments are coming in the form of tweets and other social media posts and mock and criticize Trump.
Meanwhile Ben-Ghiat writes that the longer the “confinement” of the trial goes on,
the harder it will be for Trump to restrain himself. The narcissism and the ego needs of the strongman simply cannot bear the feeling of being constrained by others. They need to turn every space and every interaction into an opportunity to dominate and humiliate others and speak for as long as they like (the rambling rallies).
Referencing her own book on fascism, Ben-Ghiat, points out that, in the courtroom,
Trump is surrounded and contained by armed officers and the judge. He is not the master of this space —quite the contrary. If you have read Strongmen or other studies of authoritarian leaders, you will understand the novelty of this situation for Trump, with the judge monitoring his every outburst and warning him that he will be arrested if he violates the rules.
To be sure, Dante would go even further and see Trump, even prior to the the trial, living in a self-created hell. In two past posts (here and here) I have noted all the punishments in Inferno, along with the accompanying torment, that apply to Trump. They are lust (Circle 2), Gluttony (circle 3), waste and hoarding (circle 4), wrath and sloth (circle 5), heresy (circle 6), blasphemy (circle 7), simony or betraying the public trust and putting the government up for sale (circle 8), graft (circle 8), sowing discord (circle 8) and treason (circle 9).
But just because Trump has created a constant inner hell for himself—anyone who watches him even briefly knows that he has turned his back on inner peace, not to mention God’s love—doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t still be held accountable by our justice system. As Yale law school professor Bandy Lee notes (quoted by Ben-Ghiat), the only way to avoid violence in someone such as Trump is to place limits on their behavior. To which Ben-Ghiat adds,
[T]he history of authoritarianism shows that appeasing bullies and not acting due to fear of possible violence merely sets up the conditions for more violence. It allows the bully to feel empowered and righteous in his lawlessness, which triggers more feelings of omnipotence and grandiosity and more reckless actions.
This is why Ben-Ghiat finds it “an amazing and beautiful and never-to-be-taken-for-granted fact that this trial is happening at all.” For Trump’s “bubble of invincibility [to be] punctured with a conviction,” she writes, “would be an unwelcome and yet powerful lesson for his followers.”
In short, it’s not enough that Trump has brought suffering on himself. We must see justice done and, if he is found guilty, punishment meted out.