Jill Harth's allegations against Trump paint a picture of an entitled narcissist

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/20/jill-harth-donald-trump-allegations-narcissist

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If there is a defining characteristic of Donald Trump, it is his complete inability to see beyond himself.

The Republican presidential nominee responded to a serious accusation of plagiarism in his campaign this week by tweeting that “all press is good press”. At an event introducing Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate, Trump used the opportunity to talk about himself. And in a brutally awkward 60 Minutes interview, Trump uttered the words: “I’m much more humble than you would understand.” (The most humble man in the world! The universe!)

With a worldview in which only you and your desires matter, it’s not just easier to take what you want – it’s second nature.

And so listening to Jill Harth, the woman who brought a lawsuit against Donald Trump almost 20 years ago alleging sexual assault, I wasn’t surprised. Harth’s allegations – that Trump made repeated unwanted sexual advances, that he groped her and, on one occasion, pulled her into a bedroom, pushed her against a wall and touched her “private parts” – tell a familiar story of a man believing he should have anything he wants.

“He was aggressive,” Harth said. “And he has a sense of entitlement and he thinks everybody’s in love with him, every woman.”

And that’s the crux of it: Trump’s entitlement problem.

He appears to think he’s entitled to women’s bodies: whether to grope them, judge them or legislate them.

Hundreds of lawsuits and other filings suggest he thinks he’s entitled to stiff small businesses, apparently paying what and when he wants regardless of promises made.

He thinks he’s entitled to take credit for his children’s accomplishments and call himself a good father, even though he scoffs at the idea of parenting. “I won’t do anything to take care of them,” he said in a 2005 radio interview. “I’ll supply funds and she’ll take care of the kids. It’s not like I’m going to be walking the kids down to Central Park.” Yes, surely we wouldn’t expect that.

Trump thinks he’s entitled to unquestioning loyalty, even from Harth – who didn’t publicly comment on her lawsuit for almost 20 years after withdrawing it.

Worst of all, Trump thinks he’s entitled to our votes: ignoring questions he doesn’t like, lying with impunity, and invoking hatred and bigotry at every step of his campaign. This is a man who believes he deserves everything, and that he has to answer for nothing.

Harth says she came forward now because of her reputation; that she doesn’t like Trump and his daughter Ivanka suggesting she’s a liar. We know how this story goes. She will be attacked and called names. Trump will meet the accusations with a shrug. Women who make accusations against powerful men are dragged into the muck; powerful men can get $40m safety nets.

When someone feels entitled, convincing them that their wants are not paramount is difficult. With Trump I’d guess that it’s near impossible. A man who cannot see past the end of his nose, who thinks the world revolves around him and his needs, cannot be trusted to do what’s best for other people. A man like that cannot be president.