The Atlantic's David Frum shut down on CNN after he attempts to psychoanalyze Trump: 'Self-hatred'

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The Atlantic's David Frum shut down on CNN after he attempts to psychoanalyze Trump: 'Self-hatred'

The Atlantic staff writer David Frum was interrupted by CNN's Kasie Hunt after he argued that former President Trump displays signs of "clinical narcissism."

Atlantic columnist David Frum was interrupted on "CNN This Morning" Monday after he argued that former President Trump displays signs of "clinical narcissism." 

"We often casually use the word ‘narcissism’ to mean someone who's self-involved, but clinical narcissism is different," Frum said, describing Trump. "The clinical narcissist is struggling with deep inner feelings of worthlessness." 

When asked about Trump's recent suggestions online that photos of Vice President Harris' campaign rallies were faked or somehow altered, Frum launched into a lengthy explanation as to why he believes Trump is a clinical narcissist. 

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Atlantic columnist David Frum was interrupted on CNN after he argued that former President Trump displays signs of "clinical narcissism."  (CNN)

Frum said that clinical narcissists construct "a giant ideology of self-assertion to cope with their inner feelings of worthlessness." 

"When anything threatens to puncture those fantasies, those fictions, the person can spiral into all kinds of mental collapse," he said. "Into aggression, into violence, into self-hatred, but that's the Donald Trump story. I think that down there is seething worthlessness and self-hatred. He's constructed this fantasy of his life, and now it's being contradicted, and he can't cope." 

Host Kasie Hunt then interrupted Frum and said, "I will just say that none of us are actually card-carrying psychologists, so we'll leave that there." She then moved on to another panelist. 

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"JD Vance spends way too much time online, and spends way too much time with people who are online," Frum said. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Frum said later in the same hour that the Trump-Vance campaign is trying to paint Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Harris' new running mate, as a "sexual deviant of some kind," a claim that was immediately pushed back on by multiple panelists. 

"JD Vance spends way too much time online, and spends way too much time with people who are online," Frum said. "A lot of what he says is going to be incomprehensible to you unless you participate in, or have some acquaintance with this strange underworld that he comes from."  

"I'm going to say this: it's not nice, it's not true, but what he's trying to suggest is that Tim Walz is a sexual deviant of some kind," Frum said in a conversation about Vance. 

"What are you talking about?" Republican strategist Matt Gorman responded. "That's ridiculous, David." 

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Frum has written multiple books critical of Trump, including a 2018 book titled "Trumpocalypse: Restoring American Democracy." 

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.