# Is Trump facing his mortality and wanting to take the world down with him **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 31, 2025, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632 "2025-08-31T19:20:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/41 "2025-09-01T16:25:30Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Trump is at his best in election mode, selling. He knows how to sell a dumb simple message to rubes using disjointed thoughts that tap into their prejudices and desires. That’s because when he’s on the stump in front of a screaming crowd, he is not hampered by that annoying little detail: TRUTH. He can say whatever he wants and promise whatever will keep the crowd screaming. > [@Princhester](#): > > In office he’s embarrassed. The intractable issues that arise constantly are too much for him. The biggest “intractable issue” is simple, physical REALITY. He does his best to keep kicking the can down the road with lawsuits, firings, distraction (Epstein), but eventually the can stops here. But by that time, he has fired a few people, shut down a few government departments, and changed the subject a bazillion times. Reality is a bitch. Reminds me of this apocryphal story: > Following is a transcript of a radio conversation between a U.S. naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland. > > _Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision._ > > Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision. > > _Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision._ > > Americans: This is the captain of a U.S. naval ship. I say again, divert your course. > > _Canadians: No. I say again, you divert your course._ > > Americans: This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the United States Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers, and numerous support vessels. I say again, that’s one-five degrees north, or countermeasures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship. > > _Canadians: We’re a lighthouse. Your call._ ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/42 "2025-09-01T16:34:30Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > He could just start a nuclear war at any point in time if his desire was to take the world with him. There’s nothing stopping from accessing the nuclear football and starting a nuclear war in minutes. Except the risk of somebody who want to live saying “no”. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/43 "2025-09-03T10:17:15Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Reality is a bitch. So true. It WILL come back and bite you in the ass. But Trump has somehow outrun reality. For now. Anyone of the the good people on the SDMB would be in prison if we had done 1/10 of the crap ‘the Donald’ has done. What’s baffling is how a moron can avoid reality for so, so long. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/44 "2025-09-03T13:02:25Z")
Money and continual lying. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/45 "2025-09-03T13:20:51Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > What’s baffling is how a moron can avoid reality for so, so long. Rich right-wing white male privilege. Trump is the Platonic Ideal of the sort of person our society is _built_ to protect and promote. A white male, a sexual predator, a bigot, cruel, ignorant, stupid, right wing, rich; he ticks all the boxes. He’s been so successful in life because all obstacles are automatically cleared out of his way, and all consequences headed off from striking him. He doesn’t _need_ to be smart, or even put into effort; he just needed to sleepwalk through life. In fact I expect that’s a major reason _why_ he’s stupid; 70+ years of not having to _actually think,_ just indulge whatever whim strikes him at the moment. The brain needs exercise or its functions degrade, just like the rest of the body. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/46 "2025-09-03T15:01:45Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > What’s baffling is how a moron can avoid reality for so, so long. What’s really baffling is how many Democratic politicians AREN’T calling him out on his lies, cruelty, and crimes. ISTM that only Pritzker and Newsome are giving him a hard time loudly and publicly at the national level. I’d like to see every Democratic Senator, Congressman, and Governor reaming out trumps ass every day in every media outlet. But it’s mostly crickets. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why. \<_scratches head_\> ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/47 "2025-09-03T15:38:38Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > He doesn’t _need_ to be smart, or even put into effort; he just needed to sleepwalk through life. In fact I expect that’s a major reason _why_ he’s stupid; 70+ years of not having to _actually think,_ just indulge whatever whim strikes him at the moment. The brain needs exercise or its functions degrade, just like the rest of the body. Totally agree. Both my wife and I have challenging jobs. But we’ve taken to playing chess and card games as a way to pass the time after work. You can almost feel your brain working. It’s interesting, I’m better at spatial games like chess (I’m a GIS programmer), my wife is better at number games like cribbage (she’s an appraiser). It makes perfect sense. Of course we have plenty of ‘down’ time. Walk the dogs, watch TV, cook, whatever. But I’m very, very thankful that my wife asked me to teach her how to play chess. We play ~10 games a week. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/48 "2025-09-03T15:58:46Z")
@ThelmaLou It’s nuts. I love that Pritzker has shown spine. He’s governor I know. I was born and lived in Chicago. You don’t mess with people in Chicago. Many of us here have sort of a tie to Chicago because of the SDMB. The city with the broad shoulders does know how to fight. I don’t know about the rest of the state of Illinois but Chicago will not like being pushed around. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/49 "2025-09-03T16:11:16Z")
I just saw something on FaceBook (so I can’t attest to it’s authenticity) the the Chicago police will have orders to stop any ICE vehicles and demand to see ID for all the occupants, requiring them to remove their masks to verify their ID, and otherwise harass them as much as possible. I’ve known a few Chicago cops and I can see them doing this. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/50 "2025-09-03T17:05:54Z")
Apparently Trump is planning to send the _Texas_ National Guard to Chicago. Guess that gets around the Illinois Governor not activating the Illinois National Guard. Also possibly defeats the meme that the National Guard would be reluctant to fire on their friends, neighbors, and families - to the Texas Guard might not apply so much to people in Chicago. Unless they see them as fellow Americans but these days who knows? Is Trump still making the National Guard sleep in the lobbies of office buildings or was that last term? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/51 "2025-09-03T17:59:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Is Trump still making the National Guard sleep in the lobbies of office buildings or was that last term? Good luck finding open space in downtown Chicago to bivouac thousands of National Guard troops. Where would they establish camp? Millennium Park? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/52 "2025-09-03T19:24:21Z")
Sure, the park lands extending from the north end of Millennium park through the the “museum campus” areas are extensive enough to do that. Please don’t give the MAGAs any ideas. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/53 "2025-09-03T22:06:45Z")
We know how Trump plans. Those folks would have no tents or toilets. Food will likely have to be scavenged. It will be Taco trucks to the rescue. I’m not kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/54 "2025-09-03T22:16:24Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > Trump has two words to describe those he admires - strong and tough. His self image is to be seen as tough. When the world responds to his tariff craziness it demonstrates that he is tough. Not that he is right, only that he is tough. > > There is nothing tougher than being the first leader after Truman to use the Bomb. This. Trump may have been told to fear the consequences of using nukes, but his desire to be seen as Tough and Strong would override such fears (I think). As for mortality and whether narcissists believe it applies to them: apparently Putin and Xi believe they’re going to live forever—via organ transplants. And being dictators, they can harvest as many young people’s bodies as they like: > The authoritarian leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping mused on how organ transplants might lead to immortality during a brief exchange of small talk caught on a hot mic on Wednesday. The Russian president was in Beijing as a guest at a huge military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war. > **[Hot mic catches Putin and Xi discussing organ transplants and immortality...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2025/sep/03/hot-mic-catches-putin-and-xi-discussing-organ-transplants-and-immortality-video)** > > The two leaders mused on how organ transplants might lead to immortality in Beijing Another source for the video: > **[Hot mic captures Putin and Xi on immortality | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/world/video/putin-xi-hot-mic-immortality-vrtc)** > > Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were caught in a hot mic moment, discussing how humans may end up living to be 150 years old within the next century. The two leaders discussed longevity and scientific advances as they... ---
**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/55 "2025-09-03T22:51:58Z")
Ah, the definition of hell: to be immortal and increasingly elderly, infirm and miserable. Too bad they also have the power to inflict said misery on the rest of us. I’m reminded of the great Meryl Streep/Goldie Hawn film, _Death Becomes Her_: > **[Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=death%2Bbecomes%2Bher&oq=death%2Bbe&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgAEAAY4wIYsQMYgAQyDQgAEAAY4wIYsQMYgAQyDQgBEC4Y1AIYsQMYgAQyBggCEEUYOTINCAMQABiDARixAxiABDIKCAQQABixAxiABDIQCAUQABiDARixAxiABBiKBTIHCAYQABiABDIKCAcQLhixAxiABDINCAgQABiDARixAxiABDIHCAkQABiPAtIBCDM1NDlqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)** ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/56 "2025-09-03T23:10:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping mused on how organ transplants might lead to immortality ‘That’s silly! We’re going to merge with The Singularity and have replaceable robot bodies for eternity!’ ~ Elon & Peter ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/57 "2025-09-04T01:39:59Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Putin and Xi believe they’re going to live forever—via organ transplants. Have you read “After Many a Summer Dies the Swan”, Aldous Huxley? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/58 "2025-09-04T02:09:26Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > Have you read “After Many a Summer Dies the Swan”, Aldous Huxley? No, but I’ve read Larry Niven including the Gil the ARM stories. Sometimes I think that setting was more ridiculous than the rest of Known Space. Continuous organ transplants to extend life? Come on. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/59 "2025-09-04T11:16:16Z")
Anyone proposing “continuous organ transplants” is not familiar with the after-effects of such major surgery or the side effects of the required anti-rejection medications. Unless these guys are thinking of creating genetic clones of themselves to harvest organs from (which still leaves the “major surgery” issues) - hey, they can use them as body doubles until their organs are needed! (Accounting for the “younger and younger” part of that hot mic quote I guess). I don’t think we’re quite there yet. Also, does nothing for a deteriorating brain, but then these guys would probably never accept that _their_ brains are anything but perfect. (There was a Gil Hamilton story by Larry Niven involving a Very Bad Man who attempted to escape both a criminal history and terrible health by replacing the brain of a young, healthy, wealthy man with his own brain, so… maybe? Except for reconnecting the brain stem to the top of a severed spinal cord. Details, details….) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632/60 "2025-09-04T12:14:37Z")
I was reminded of “ **Caught In The Organ Draft** ”, by Robert Silverberg. > **[Sci-Fi September: ‘Caught in the Organ Draft’ by Robert Silverberg (Short Story)](https://superkickwrites.wordpress.com/2018/09/26/sci-fi-september-caught-in-the-organ-draft-by-robert-silverberg-short-story/)** > > ‘Caught in the Organ Draft’ by Robert Silverberg (1972) Collected in Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories, edited by John Joseph Adams, Night Shade Books, 2011-12, 2nd edition, approx. 10 pgs (p. 37… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-facing-his-mortality-and-wanting-to-take-the-world-down-with-him/1022632.md?page=4)