A Political Psychology of Donald Trump’s Anti-Climate Policy and the Trembling U.S. Leadership
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Abstract
This article aims to study the driving forces behind the U.S. administration’s anti-climate policy through a political psychology perspective by analysing three main psychological traits of former President Donald Trump. These traits consist of his personality, mental illness, and his perception of global climate change. Furthermore, this article assesses the repercussions of the Trump administration’s anti-climate policy at the international level. This article utilises qualitative research methods with a focus on analysing primary sources. The main argument of this article is that Trump’s distinct personality traits, narcissism, and his denial of the existence of global climate change are the main driving forces behind his administration’s anti-climate policy. Consequently, such a policy undermines U.S. leadership on the climate issue in the global arena. To restore such leadership, this article suggests that the U.S. government ought to pursue trust diplomacy towards other countries together with collaborating with China to combat the climate crisis more efficaciously as well as accomplish the target to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions as stated in the Paris Agreement.
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