Let's Start with a summary:
This Parallel, that I first noticed while reading the Haldeman Diaries earlier this year (2017) and first wrote about this March, is disturbingly informative of the existence not of some coincidental basket of personality traits and political antics but of the existence of a diagnosable personality disorder--a psychopathology, with similar outcomes when occurring in a similar situational context and access to social or cultural power.
Diagnosable narcissist
Governing style: pure partisanship consistently at the expense of the U.S. citizenry
Obsessed with his own media image
Targeted the media and labelled as "enemy"
Morbidly obsessed with revenge: Nixon's target was Ted Kennedy, developing a crystallizing and seething anger when JFK bested him in the 1960 presidential election. Trump's target is Hillary Clinton, having developed a crystallizing and seething anger at Obama having embarrassed him at the White House Correspondents Dinner. For both men, their targets represented the embodiment of--and access to, the person who actually triggered their revenge. Couching his actions as attacking an opposing candidate in the next presidential election, Nixon actually arranged to have Ted Kennedy "set up" and demanded that CIA give him the Lodge files/CIA files re: the death of Diem and the Bay of Pigs events, intending to use the classified info to publically tarnish JFK's legacy (and further taint Ted K.). Since assuming the job as president on Jan. 20, Trump has repeatedly blamed numerous gaffs and failures on Obama, regardless of the truth of the matter, and further stating the he inherited a mess from Obama and remaining entrenched, in his public speeches in his campaign rhetoric.
Criminality: Nixon fired persons (IRS) resisting his commands to commit criminal or unethical acts for "the party". Trump fired persons resisting his commands to commit or criminal or dishonest acts supporting his false accusations and pursuing the Russia investigation(s).
Publically excoriates "leaks" yet harbored demand for media to comply with his use of leaks.
Hypocritical position on transparency and openness: Both refused to release tax returns, publically challenging opponents to be open and transparent. Nixon stated that opponents don't release tax returns because they are hiding bad conduct. Trump tells citizenry the White House is the people's house while prohibiting media attendance and disclosure of WH visitor's log to the public.
Pathologically obsessed with infiltrating opponent candidate's/party's "offices". Nixon's Plumbers/Watergate 5. Trump's Hackers.
TIP: Nixon's vanity led him to record the very conversations that exposed his criminality. Given the significant parallels in the Trump and Nixon personalities, there is reason to conclude that Trump is also somehow memorializing his "negotiating excellence".
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