We are watching the decompensation of the Right happening in real time.
They are losing it and can't help themselves.
Protip: If your political adversaries are melting down it is a sign they know they are not winning.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines the word “decompensation” as:
“A breakdown in an individual’s defense mechanisms, resulting in progressive loss of normal functioning or worsening of psychiatric symptoms.”
When Joe Biden was the Democratic candidate for president, the Trump campaign was firing on all cylinders. After the June 27th debate, when Biden demonstrated to the nation he was not up to executing the campaign that would be needed to win this year, Trump exhibited, for him, discipline and a willingness to listen to his advisors Chris LaCivitas and Susie Wiles.
July 4, 2024 Shh: Trump stays quiet as Biden implodes
Former President Trump’s campaign is doing something after last week’s debate that it isn’t necessarily known for: keeping quiet.
Trump, often a brash and boisterous candidate, has taken a more measured approach amid the wave of chaos and disarray that is surrounding President Biden’s political future.
July 10, 2024 Trump Rejoices at How the Landscape Has Changed
Mr. Trump openly addressed that uncertainty in Virginia. But then, in an uncharacteristic display of discipline, he restrained his id and listened to his superego, largely disappearing from view to let the Democratic infighting play out.
July 19, 2024 The RNC clarified Trump’s 2024 persona: Moderate authoritarian weirdo
From one angle, the operation looks disorientingly competent and normal: The Republican nominee has pivoted to the center on various hot-button issues and sought to broaden his base with symbolic overtures to traditionally Democratic constituencies.
All that was upended after the Democrats decided to change the game by replacing Joe Biden with Kamala Harris. Almost overnight the dynamics of the race shifted from two old men voters did not like to one old man voters don’t like and a younger woman who voters were willing to give a chance. Harris took full advantage of her opening and moved to quickly consolidate the Democratic delegates around her candidacy basically freezing out any potential opponents.
As Harris gained on and eventually surpassed Trump in national and swing state polls you can see Trump and his supporters getting more and more desperate to get the focus back on Trump and to get Trump to remain on message.
August 13, 2024 As Trump flails and invites conspiracies, allies plea for him to stay on message
Lately, though, some of those most eager to quiet Trump are those who want to see him back in the Oval Office.
Appearing dazed and flustered by an unfamiliar and fast-changing political landscape, Trump in response has unleashed a torrent of mean-spirited missives, race-baiting insults and conspiratorial broadsides that even close allies and donors acknowledge as unproductive. Some have privately expressed serious concerns that the former president’s recent inability to stay on message has wasted an early opportunity to blunt the momentum of his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
August 22, 2024 Trump lashes out as DNC attacks throw him off message
In the view of one ally who speaks to the former president every week, Trump wins in November if he sticks to talking about the economy, the border and crime.
At the start of this week, that looked possible. Trump scheduled a string of rallies, in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona - each was themed to focus on exactly those political and economic topics.
But with night after night of anti-Trump speeches here in Chicago, staying on message has gone out the window. And it's not what his supporters tell him they want anyway.
September 25, 2024 ‘He should be doing better’: Even some Trump allies see him veering off course
Donald Trump was meeting privately in mid-September with one of his oldest friends, Steve Wynn, when the casino mogul and Republican mega-donor delivered the former president a blunt warning: You’re off message, and it isn’t helping.
And it’s not just Trump that is losing his mind as Harris gains strength.
On X, Republican Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA) posted:
"Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters… but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP," he said, referring to Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees Trump and Vance, respectively.
"All these thugs better get their mind right and their ass out of our country before January 20th," the post concluded. That would be the day Trump and Vance would be sworn into office if they win November's election.
House Speaker Mike Johnson took Higgins aside to “pray” about it and Higgins took the post down without apology.
We may not be seeing the polling we want or the news headlines we want but the actions of Trump and his allies say they know Trump is headed to lose and lose badly.
Take heart.
30 days out and Republicans are still refusing to admit Biden won a fair election in 2020. That can’t be good for them.
Trump clearly has 45% national support, 70 million Americans. But there are 55% Americans who don’t support him and 180 voting Americans. 100 million who didn’t vote last election.
Harris has run a textbook campaign. Trump continues to lie, fume and threaten in order to get votes. If he wins, he’s going to have a very hard time getting Americans to comply with his orders.
But the odds are not in his favor at this point.