Clinical Psychologist Says Trump Is Following 'Playbook' of Leaders Like Hitler, Mussolini

Clinical psychologist Ben Michaelis told Glenn Beck Tuesday evening that Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, who is leading the polls nationally, is following the "playbook" of leaders like Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

"You would compare Donald Trump to somebody like Mussolini, Hitler — would you put him in those categories?" Beck asked on The Glenn Beck Program.

"What I can say is that he is following the playbook from those past campaigns," Michaelis responded. "There are so many parallels, which are quite disturbing."

Clinical psychologist Dr. Ben Michaelis discusses Donald Trump with Glenn Beck Tuesday, Jan. 19. (Image source: TheBlaze TV)

Michaelis told Beck that the reason he believes Hitler garnered support in the 1930s and '40s and the reason Trump has such a groundswell of support now is because both campaigns are "appealing to the economically downtrodden." But that is not the only criticism the psychologist had for the billionaire Republican.

Though he said he has not clinically diagnosed him, Michaelis voiced his belief that there is evidence to show that Trump suffers from "narcissistic personality disorder."

"All of the evidence — again, observing him — is of someone who has an inflated, possibly delusional, sense of self esteem, ... very little remorse and empathy for others," Michaelis said. "And a streak that is very common to narcissists when they are questioned or attacked in any way is that they attack with complete, single-minded vitriol, and Mr. Trump exhibits all of these things."

The psychologist told Beck that the evidence leads to only one of two conclusions: either he believes what he says and truly is a narcissist, "or he doesn't believe a lot of the things that he's saying, which puts him in a very different category of someone that may be, sort of, on the psychotic spectrum."

Michaelis is not alone in his belief that Trump is a narcissist. In fact, though some in the mental health community have criticized therapists for "diagnosing" public figures, many have echoed claims very similar to Michaelis's.

Later in the program, Michaelis doubled down, adding that he doesn't believe Trump exhibits any moral compass, either.

"I don't think this man really has any true moral compass," he said. "He believes he is his own moral compass."

"You give someone that has those beliefs all of the power and trappings of the presidency, and it becomes a very, very dangerous time. ... I think people are very frightened that this man could actually become president of the United States," Michaelis concluded.

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