Long social media rants are hardly rare occurrences for President Donald Trump, but on Thursday, he posted a particularly striking ― and lengthy ― tirade against several right-wing personalities who have expressed their disagreement with his actions on Iran.
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Using words like “losers,” “nut jobs” and “troublemakers,” he targeted once-close allies like media personalities Megyn Kelly, Alex Jones, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump also called them “low IQ,” “nasty” and “crazy,” and attacked their looks and intelligence as he lashed out in response to their criticism of the war in Iran.
Truth Social
This kind of public outburst can feel troubling and disproportionate to the situation, but there’s a term that may help explain it: narcissistic collapse.
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While Trump has not, to public knowledge, received a formal diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, experts say he has displayed behavioral patterns consistent with narcissistic traits.
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“Narcissistic collapse occurs when a narcissist’s carefully constructed self-image is threatened or shattered, often by criticism, public humiliation, perceived abandonment or a loss of control,” said Tina Swithin, author of Divorcing a Narcissist: One Mom’s Battle.
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As a result, a narcissistic person may act impulsively, with a dramatic escalation in behavior or an emotional explosion.
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“Narcissistic collapse can include rage and personal attacks ― lashing out at perceived enemies and targeting multiple people or groups at once,” Swithin said, noting these scattershot attacks might showcase a loss of strategic control.
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The narcissist may also project by blaming others for their own failures or by accusing others of possessing the very traits they struggle with. Experts say these moments often involve frantic attempts at image management ― including smear campaigns, threats, gaslighting or manipulation.
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Swithin added that narcissistic collapse might involve using hyperbole and superlatives to reassert dominance.
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“They may publicly degrade former allies who are no longer providing narcissistic supply or may be threatening their image,” she said. “They may engage in victim posturing ― framing themselves as unfairly persecuted despite holding significant power.”
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Basically, narcissistic collapse is “the moment the mask slips,” Swithin added. A narcissist’s facade of power, authority and unique greatness goes away as their vulnerability is exposed ― laying bare negative behaviors that were previously hidden or controlled.
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“Not all narcissistic individuals may react with such outward expressions of rage,” noted Lauren Maher, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in anxiety, trauma and narcissistic abuse recovery. “Individuals with a more covert presentation of narcissism might react by making sarcastic or snide remarks, becoming vindictive and spreading lies about someone, or engaging in passive-aggressive behavior.”
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A covert, or vulnerable narcissist might turn inward and withdraw from people or situations that remind them of their perceived failure. In lieu of reflection and accountability, there’s self-pity and rumination over how they were wronged.
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“The collapse may look more consistent with depression in which the narcissist is more prone to shutting down and disengaging with others, acting out their hurt by punishing others with silence,” said Hannah Alderete, a licensed mental health counselor and the author of Break Free From Narcissistic Mothers.
Both the covert and grandiose (or overt) narcissistic response show rigid thinking patterns that paint people and situations in extreme, black-and-white terms.
“In more extreme cases, they may exhibit signs of paranoia, severe depression, or may try to harm themselves or others,” Maher said.
What triggers narcissistic collapse?
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“A narcissist’s identity is built upon a fantasy of being impervious to vulnerability, and they need others’ attention, admiration and validation to support their distorted self-concept,” Alderete said.
They rely on specific external markers to meticulously craft that facade.
“Desirable partners, money, fancy homes, the ‘right’ social group, moral superiority or the perfect-appearing family may regulate their shaky self-esteem,” said Virginia Gilbert, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in high-conflict divorce and attachment trauma.
Narcissistic collapse stems from getting a severe blow to the ego, or what experts call “narcissistic injury.” Basically, anything that a narcissist perceives as challenging their power, status or self-image can trigger collapse ― even something seemingly minor.
“A perceived slight, a public criticism or a former ally withdrawing support can feel existentially threatening precisely because it brushes against underlying shame,” Swithin said. “The more grandiose the individual, the more catastrophic the perceived threat can feel internally and the more extreme the outward response tends to be.”
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Gilbert noted that it’s often the narcissist’s grandiosity, exploitive behavior and poor relational skills that blow up the very structures they rely on to feel superior.
“For instance, a spouse finds out about a decades-long pattern of infidelity and files for divorce,” she said. “Adult children get fed up with being invalidated and manipulated and choose to estrange themselves from their narcissist parent. A business collapses because the narcissist is seen as more of a hindrance than an essential player.”
Sometimes, the general feeling of becoming less powerful and more ordinary due to aging can send a narcissist into the downward spiral of narcissistic collapse as well.
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“Essentially, that person can’t handle the difference between how they see themselves and what’s happening,” said Marie-Line Germain, author of Narcissism at Work: Personality Disorders of Corporate Leaders and a professor of human resources and leadership at Western Carolina University.
It all comes down to another core aspect of narcissism: a deeply buried sense of shame.
“Since narcissistic people rely on external validation and praise to function, experiencing rejection, a loss of status or admiration, or humiliation can invoke a profound sense of shame,” Maher explained.
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Those exterior markers not only feed their sense of superiority but also protect them from feeling vulnerability and confronting their shame. Ultimately, they are quite fragile and thin-skinned beneath the facade.
“Since they don’t have internal resources to manage those feelings, they end up acting their feelings out,” Alderete said. “The collapse is when the false identity is no longer intact and they lash out in an attempt to restore their sense of self.”
How do Trump’s rants compare to narcissistic collapse?
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With regard to the president’s recent Truth Social rant, Germain sees “clear similarities between this type of communication and patterns of narcissistic collapse, especially in its early phase.”
She emphasized that these observable behavioral patterns do not constitute a clinical diagnosis of NPD. Still, it’s a familiar dynamic to those who have studied narcissistic collapse.
“A narcissistic collapse usually starts when a person’s self-image is threatened ― through criticism, disagreement or what feels like betrayal,” Germain said. “In this case, the individuals mentioned in President Trump’s post were once aligned or supportive voices, but their disagreement is framed not as a difference of opinion, but as a form of disloyalty.”
She noted that he seems to have taken that shift away from unwavering support as a personal attack ― a triggering event that appears to have injured his ego, prompting emotional instability and outward aggression.
“What stands out immediately is the breadth of the targeting,” Swithin said. “Attacking Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones, people who were previously considered allies, in a single post is a classic pattern I see in collapse behavior. When a narcissist begins devaluing former supporters to this degree, it signals that the usual sources of validation have dried up or have become a threat.”
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Some experts who spoke to HuffPost identified hallmarks of narcissistic collapse ― like personal attacks rooted in physical appearance and intelligence.
“Instead of addressing ideas, the focus moves to labeling others as ‘low IQ,’ ‘losers’ or ‘nut jobs,’” Germain said. “This kind of reaction reflects a need to put others down to protect one’s own sense of self. The tone also becomes much more aggressive and intense. There is mockery, dismissal, and a sense of escalation.”
She also pointed to an increase in grandiosity and a reliance on group validation ― with repeated references to agreement from supporters ― to reinforce that identity of superiority and self-importance.
“Rather than showing any vulnerability, Trump’s post emphasizes power and success, such as claiming total influence over others or highlighting past victories,” Germain said. “This is important because collapse does not always look like withdrawal ― it can look like doubling down.”
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Swithin also highlighted use of superlatives with phrases like “THE HOTTEST COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.”
“The post also displays victim positioning despite holding immense power and a projection of weakness onto others,” she added.
Instead of measured control, it’s pure anger and emotion.
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“The sheer length and escalation of the post itself reflects dysregulation rather than centered, strategic communication,” Swithin noted. “Collapse looks loud, and it is not power ― it is the opposite.”
Therapist and Disarming The Narcissist author Wendy Behary sees something even deeper going on.
“It’s touching a tender nerve when someone is in narcissistic collapse because their reactions are intense,” Behary said. “I always like to say, intensity means something important is happening behind the scenes. We know something is getting triggered because his reaction is incredibly intense, as if the criticism is a threat to his total survival.”
How do you deal with someone’s narcissistic collapse?
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“It can be extremely unnerving and anxiety provoking to be on the receiving end of narcissistic rage and abuse, especially as these incidents can appear seemingly from out of nowhere,” Maher noted.
She emphasized that you are not responsible for a narcissist’s behavior, which stems from their self-perception and typically has nothing to do with you or your actions. Don’t internalize their attacks or let them warp your sense of reality. The goal is not to “win,” but to protect yourself and avoid escalating a bad situation.
“It’s important to remember that narcissists have significant empathy deficits, which means they are not going to recognize the impact their behavior is having on you,” Alderete said. “When they are experiencing collapse, their number one agenda is to eliminate the threatening feelings they are experiencing, usually by belittling, devaluing or dismissing others.”
Resist the urge to defend yourself or engage in a back-and-forth explaining your experiences. This is counterproductive, as it fuels their sense of power and control.
“I think when you are in the face of someone who is in narcissistic collapse mode, it is best to step aside and keep your distance rather than get tangled up in an argument,” Behary said. “It’s like trying to reason with someone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They are in an altered state of survival mode due to the threat they feel to their ego.”
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Try to detach yourself emotionally, respond minimally, and embrace the power of silence.
“If you must engage, use the ‘gray rock’ communication method ― be as factual and boring as possible,” Gilbert advised. “If you don’t have to continue a relationship with the narcissist, resist the urge to tell them off and simply go ‘no contact.’”
One of the most effective things you can do is make yourself unimportant and invisible to them. Limit your exposure and keep interactions brief, neutral and “gray.” Even if it’s tempting to match the intensity of the moment, avoid using a tone or language that is emotional and personal.
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“It’s important to take care of your own well-being, as these situations can be draining,” Germain said. “Talking to someone you trust ― a family member, friend, mentor or counselor ― and taking time to decompress can help you maintain perspective. You can’t control the other person’s behavior, but you can control how you respond.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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