What would happen if the most powerful man in the country were in the throes of a personality condition that left him only a few cards to play—manifested by a limited, precise, and implacable set of destructive personality traits—that inevitably inflict harm and havoc on all those in his orbit?
After reading this book, you will not be able to look at Donald Trump in the same manner. You will understand his deep psychology, the puppeteer psychopathology pulling his strings. You will also better understand what it is like to be him, from the inside out. Most critically, you will understand the psychological infrastructure undergirding his "win at all costs" mentality, his impulsivity and irresponsibility, his callous lack of empathy, and his inability ever to feel remorse.
In Puppet on a String, Dr. Vincent Greenwood, trained in the rigorous assessment process for clinical psychopathy:
- Separates fact from hyperbole in evaluating Donald Trump's mental health.
- Goes beyond offering an "informed opinion" and provides a detailed, evidence-based forensic analysis of whether Trump fits the criteria for a fateful and ominous personality disorder.
- Demonstrates that this assessment meets the "gold standard" of reliability, validity, and rigor —and, because of the publicly documented life history of the man, it does not require a clinical interview.
- Explains how this condition accounts for the dizzying array of Trump's extreme behavior patterns.
- Explores the relationship of his personality to the threat to democracy.
Accusations of "derangement syndrome" will wither in the face of the startling, evidence-based arguments in Puppet on a String. In a time of destructive chaos, knowledge is power—and we need that power more than ever.
Vincent Greenwood, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of The Washington Center for Cognitive Therapy in Washington, DC. Dr. Greenwood has worked as a research associate and training leader at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute of Health. He has conducted over 1,700 psychological evaluations in his career and has received advanced training in the assessment of psychopathic personality disorder.
Dr. Greenwood created DutyToInform.org in 2020 to disseminate scientifically valid findings about President Trump's personality limitations and accompanying psychological struggles and destructive behavior patterns. He has published numerous articles on his findings, including two chapters in The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, edited by Bandy X. Lee (2024). He has appeared on numerous political shows and podcasts, including The Bill Press Show, The Damage Report, and Shrinking Trump.
"A masterpiece. In this compelling, persuasive, and damning study, Dr. Greenwood presents an array of research and clinical observations to prove Trump is as pure a psychopath as any clinician will see in their lifetime." —John Gartner, Ph.D., former assistant professor of psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University Medical School
"The beauty of this book is it doesn’t just explain the extensive science into understanding psychopathy; it brings it alive through examples we have all seen with our own eyes and are hard to dispute. Reading Puppet on a String will convince you (even if you have voted for him in the past) that Trump is a psychopath, a puppet ruled by a disorder whose three distinctive traits serve as the strings that animate him." —Richard Hine, creator of Unprecedented
