Being president is a position only a privileged few will get to experience. Holding political office requires a level of propriety and leadership that not everybody can handle. Most U.S. presidents of the past have been identified as Guardian types, ESTJ, ISTJ, ESFJ, ISFJ. More recent POTUSes like Obama (ENFJ), Bill Clinton (ESFP) and Donald Trump (ESTP) have provided examples of how other MBTI types too can operate as the executive in chief. Here is a general assessment of how each of the 16 MBTI types may differ as president. Continue reading
The first executive rule of Trump Club is: you do not talk about hand size.
The second executive rule of Trump Club is: you DO NOT talk about crowd size!
Third executive rule of Trump Club: if someone yells “racist!”, “misogynist”, or enters the U.S. illegally, they will be deported.
Fourth rule: any member of the Trump cabinet who defies or obstructs the Trump agenda will be promptly fired.
Like it or not, the Trump administration is here and open for business, making many leftists unhappy – very unhappy in the process. Only weeks into his term, there has already been a handful of drama and tumult surrounding Trump’s activity. From fake news reports like the one of him removing the bust of MLK from the oval office, to virulent protests and riots directly or indirectly connected to him, to Alec Baldwin’s unflattering yet surprisingly good Trump impersonation on SNL, the Donald has been a political pinata for critics to whack unabashedly.
Among those opposed to him, Meryl Streep and Madonna have joined the anti-Trump bandwagon because you know, it’s very trendy right now. Interestingly, both Madonna and Meryl Streep have been typed as ESTPs – the same as Trump. Yet, they have taken an opposing stance against him. Where’s the loyalty? And is there any significant correlation between Myers Briggs type and political affiliation?
Granted, although Trump ran and won on the Republican ticket, he is not a typical Republican. In fact, he has been reported to have switched parties 5 times. This demonstrates that at least he is not a fixed-minded person and is able to change his views when necessary. Does that make him a flip-flopping charlatan? A phony? Depends, but in my opinion The Donald simply knows what he wants and goes for it, but is not as Machiavellian as he is often purported to be. Maybe just a tad, but it’s probably a good thing.
“ESTPs are big-thinking, action-oriented entrepreneurs – bold go-getters who go for what they want with great confidence in themselves. “
– celebritytypes.com
I believe it is understood and accepted that even among a group of ESTPs, there will undoubtedly be an amount of psychological diversity. You cannot discount the role of personal experience and other unique variables on the formation of a group of personalities regardless of their shared cognitive preferences. It is probably more like a sliding scale than a binary on/off switch. That said, one might suspect that certain personality types would correlate more highly with the values of one political group over another by virtue of their constituent function stack. Namely, it would be reasonable to expect Sensor types to identify with conservative views and intuitives with liberal ones.
Below is a table taken from a U.S. sample of 3000 people. It was part of data collected when Consulting Psychologists’ Press revised the MBTI in 1998. Political affiliation and mbti type was among the survey questions.
Myers Briggs type and political affiliation
As you can see, from observing the table, there are a few things that stand out:
xSTJs and xNTJs identify as Republican the most.
Democrat affiliation is lowest among rational types.
Democrats are represented highest among “SF” and “NF” types.
ESTJs mostly identify as Republican.
INTPs followed by ENTPs identify mostly as Independent.
Defining Conservatism Versus Liberalism
CONSERVATIVES – believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.
LIBERALS – believe in governmental action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all, and that it is the duty of the State to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights. Believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. Believe that people are basically good. Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve people’s problems.
The MBTI Types and Political Issues
1. Gun Control
Conservativesbelieve that individual Americans have a right to defend themselves and their families with guns and that right cannot be taken away by any method short of a Constitutional Amendment. The Second Amendment gives the individual the right to keep and bear arms. Gun control laws do not thwart criminals. You have a right to defend yourself against criminals. More guns mean less crime. Relevant function: Extroverted Sensing likely in favor by: ISTP, ESTP, ISFP, ESFP
Liberalsbelieve by taking arms away from law abiding citizens, they can prevent criminals, who aren’t going to abide by gun control laws, from using guns in the commission of crimes. The Second Amendment gives no individual the right to own a gun, but allows the state to keep a militia (National Guard). Guns kill people. Guns kill children. Relevant function: Introverted Intuition Likely in favor by: INTJ, INFJ, ENTJ, ENFJ
2. Affirmative Action
Conservativesbelieve that we should live in a color blind society where every individual is judged on the content of his character and the merits of his/her actions. People should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability. It is unfair to use race as a factor in the selection process. Reverse discrimination is not a solution for racism. Relevant function: Introverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ISFP, ENFP, INFP, ENFP
Liberalsbelieve that it’s okay to discriminate based on race as long as it primarily benefits minority groups. Due to prevalent racism in the past, minorities were deprived of the same education and employment opportunities as whites. We need to make up for that. Support affirmative action based on the belief that America is still a racist society. Minorities still lag behind whites in all statistical measurements of success. Also, the presence of minorities creates diversity. Relevant function: Extroverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ESFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, INFJ
3. Social Welfare
Conservativesoppose long-term welfare. We need to provide opportunities to make it possible for poor and low-income workers to become self-reliant. It is far more compassionate and effective to encourage a person to become self-reliant, rather than keeping them dependent on the government for money. Relevant function: Extroverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ, INTJ
Liberalsthink that the solution to every problem is another government program. Even when those new programs create new problems, often worse than the ones that were being fixed in the first place, the solution is always….you guessed it, another government program. They support social welfare. They want welfare to provide for the poor. To liberals, conservatives oppose welfare because they are not compassionate toward the poor. We have welfare to bring fairness to American economic life. Without welfare, life below the poverty line would be intolerable. Relevant function: Introverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ISFP, ENFP, INFP, ENFP
4. Economy
Conservativesare capitalists and believe that entrepreneurs who amass great wealth through their own efforts are good for the country and shouldn’t be punished for being successful. The free market system, competitive capitalism, and private enterprise afford the widest opportunity and the highest standard of living for all. Free markets produce more economic growth, more jobs and higher standards of living than those systems burdened by excessive government regulation. Relevant function: Extroverted Intuition, Extroverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ENTP, ENFP, ENTJ, ESTJ
Liberalsare socialists who view successful business owners as people who cheated the system somehow or got lucky. That’s why they don’t respect high achievers and see them as little more than piggy banks for their programs. Favor a market system in which government regulates the economy. We need government to protect us against big businesses. Unlike the private sector, the government is motivated by public interest. We need government regulation to level the playing field. Relevant function: Introverted Feeling, Introverted Sensing Likely in favor by: ISFP, INFP, ISTJ, ISFJ
5. Abortion
Conservativesbelieve that abortion ends the life of an innocent child and since we believe that infanticide is wrong, we oppose abortion. Human life begins at conception. Abortion is the murder of a human being. Nobody has the right to murder a human being. Support legislation to prohibit partial birth abortions, called the “Partial Birth Abortion Ban” (partial birth abortion – the killing of an unborn baby of at least 20 weeks by pulling it out of the birth canal with forceps, but leaving the head inside. An incision is made in the back of the baby’s neck and the brain tissue is suctioned out. The head is then removed from the uterus.) Relevant function: Introverted Sensing Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ISFJ
Liberals, largely believe that abortion ends the life of an innocent child, but they prefer killing the baby to inconveniencing the mother. A fetus is not a human life. The decision to have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her own body and the government should stay out of it. Women should be guaranteed the right to a safe and legal abortion, including partial birth abortion. Relevant function: Introverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ISTP, ENTP, INTP, ESTP
6. Government
Conservatives, but not necessarily Republicans (which is unfortunate), believe it’s vitally important to the future of the country to reduce the size of government, keep taxes low, balance the budget, and get this country out of debt. Conservatives believe that government, by its very nature, tends to be inefficient, incompetent, wasteful, and power hungry. That’s why we believe that the government that governs least, governs best. Relevant function: Extroverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ, INTJ
Liberals, and Democrats for that matter, believe in big government, high taxes, and they have never met a new spending program they didn’t like, whether we will have to go into debt to pay for it or not. Relevant function: Extroverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ESFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, INFJ
7. Religion
Conservativesbelieve the phrase “separation of church and state” is not in the Constitution. The First Amendment to the Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” This prevents the government from establishing a national church. However, it does not prevent God from being acknowledged in schools and government buildings. Oppose the removal of symbols of Christian heritage from public and government spaces. Government should not interfere with religion and religious freedom. Relevant function: Introverted Sensing Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ISFJ
Liberals, most of them anyway, are hostile to Christianity. That’s why, whether you’re talking about a school play at Christmas time, a judge putting the Ten Commandments on the wall of his court, or a store employee saying “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays,” liberals are dedicated to driving reminders of Christianity from polite society. They support the separation of church and state. Religious expression has no place in government. Support the removal of all references to God in public and government spaces. Relevant function: Introverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ISFP, ENFP, INFP, ENFP
8. Death Penalty
Conservativesbelieve the death penalty is a punishment that fits the crime; it is neither ‘cruel’ nor ‘unusual’. Executing a murderer is the appropriate punishment for taking an innocent life. Relevant function: Introverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ISTP, ENTP, INTP, ESTP
Liberalsbelieve we should abolish the death penalty. The death penalty is inhumane and is ‘cruel and unusual’ punishment. It does not deter crime. Imprisonment is the appropriate punishment. Every execution risks killing an innocent person. Relevant function: Introverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ISFP, ENFP, INFP, ENFP
9. Education
Conservativesadvocate for school vouchers to give all parents the right to choose good schools for their children, not just those who can afford private schools. Parents (who pay the taxes that fund the schools) should decide how and where to educate their child. Relevant function: Introverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ISFP, ENFP, INFP, ENFP
Liberalsbelieve School vouchers are untested experiments. We need to focus on more funding for existing public schools -to raise teacher salaries and reduce class size. Relevant function: Extroverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ESFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, INFJ
10. The Environment
Conservativesdesire clean water, clean air and a clean planet, just like everyone else. However, extreme environmental policies destroy jobs and damage the economy. Changes in global temperatures are natural over long periods of time. So far, science has not shown that humans can affect permanent change to the earth’s temperature. Relevant function: Extroverted Sensing likely in favor by: ISTP, ESTP, ISFP, ESFP
Liberalsbelieve Conservatives don’t care about protecting the environment. Industrial growth harms the environment. Global warming is caused by an increased production of carbon dioxide. The U.S. is a major contributor to global warming because it produces 25% of the world’s carbon dioxide. The U.S. should enact laws to significantly reduce that amount. Relevant function: Extroverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ, INTJ
11. Healthcare
Conservativesbelieve that free healthcare provided by the government (socialized medicine) means that everyone will get the same poor-quality healthcare. The rich will continue to pay for superior healthcare, while all others will receive poor-quality free healthcare from the government. Health care should remain privatized. Support Healthcare Spending Accounts. Relevant function: Extroverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ, INTJ
Liberalssupport universal government-supervised health care. There are millions of Americans who can’t afford health insurance. They are being deprived of a basic right to healthcare. Relevant function: Extroverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ESFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, INFJ
12. Immigration
Conservativessupport legal immigration at current numbers, but do not support illegal immigration. Government should enforce immigration laws. Oppose President Bush’s amnesty plan for illegal immigrants. Those who break the law by entering the U.S. illegally should not have the same rights as those who obey the law by entering legally. If there were a decrease in cheap, illegal immigrant labor, employers would have to substitute higher priced domestic employees, legal immigrants, or perhaps increase mechanization. Relevant function: Extroverted Sensing likely in favor by: ISTP, ESTP, ISFP, ESFP
Liberalssupport legal immigration and increasing the number of legal immigrants permitted to enter the U.S. each year. Support blanket amnesty for current illegal immigrants. Believe that regardless of how they came to the U.S., illegal immigrants deserve: – U.S. government financial aid for college tuition. – visas for spouse/children to come to the U.S. Families shouldn’t be separated. Illegal immigrants do the jobs that Americans do not want to do. Relevant function: Extroverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ESFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, INFJ
13. Same-Sex Marriage
Conservativesinsist that marriage is between one man and one woman. Opinions differ on support for the creation of a constitutional amendment establishing marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Believe that requiring citizens to sanction same-sex relationships violates moral and religious beliefs of millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims and others who believe marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Relevant function: Introverted Sensing Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ISFJ
Liberalsbelieve marriage should be legal for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples to ensure equal rights for all. All individuals, regardless of their sex, have the right to marry. Believe that prohibiting same-sex citizens from marrying denies them of their civil rights. Opinions differ on whether this issue is equal to civil rights for African Americans. Relevant function: Extroverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ESFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, INFJ
14. Social Security
Conservativesbelieve the current Social Security system is in serious financial trouble. Changes are necessary because the U.S. will be unable to maintain the current system it in the future. Support proposal to allow a portion of Social Security dollars withheld to be put into an account chosen by the individual, not the government. Relevant function: Introverted Intuition Likely in favor by: INTJ, INFJ, ENTJ, ENFJ
Liberals generally oppose change to the current Social Security system. Opinions vary on whether the current system is in financial trouble. Changing the current system will cause people to lose their Social Security benefits. Support a cap on Social Security payments to the wealthy. Relevant function: Introverted Feeling Likely in favor by: ISFP, ENFP, INFP, ENFP
15. Taxation
Conservativessupport lower taxes and a smaller government. Lower taxes create more incentive for people to work, save, invest, and engage in entrepreneurial endeavors. Money is best spent by those who earn it. Relevant function: Introverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ISTP, ENTP, INTP, ESTP
Liberalssupport higher taxes and a larger government. High taxes enable the government to do good and create jobs. We need high taxes for social welfare programs, to provide for the poor. We can’t afford to cut taxes. Relevant function: Extroverted Thinking Likely in favor by: ESTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ, INTJ
Whether you are for him or against him, most would agree that Donald Trump is an unusual character with the traits of a good entrepreneur. His unconventional and polarizing rhetoric has earned him popularity but also a reputation wrought with controversy and political incorrectness. He says and does a lot of risky things but as we often see, it tends to work in his favor.
10. He Insisted It’s an Advantage Being A Black Man
In an interview from 1989, Trump has stated that he believed a well educated black man actually has an edge in the job market today. He tells the interviewer “I’ve said on occasion, even about myself, if I were starting off today I would love to be a well-educated black because I really believe they do have an actual advantage today.”
Trump’s remark was likely in reference to affirmative action laws that many would argue forces businesses to seek diversity for diversity’s sake rather than the strength of merit alone. Actor and director Spike Lee later slammed Trump’s comments as “garbage” and “craziness.”
9. He likes to comment on his daughter’s anatomy.
In 1994, Donald and his then wife Marla Maples appeared on an episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”. When host Robin Leach, asked about the qualities Trump’s newborn daughter Tiffany shared with her parents, Trump responded saying “She’s a very beautiful baby, she’s got Marla’s legs. We don’t know whether or not *puts hands on his chest to indicate breasts* she’s got this part yet, but time will tell.”
Trump has caught more attention for his off-color commentary about daughter Ivanka in another TV appearance. When asked whether his daughter would ever consider posing for Playboy magazine, he infamously replied, “I don’t think Ivanka would do that inside the magazine, although she does have a very nice figure. I’ve said that if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps, I would be dating her.”
8. He’s a Germaphobe
via washingtonpost.com
No, he’s not scared of Germans (presumably). But he does apparently have an abiding fear of getting his hands dirty. In his 1997 book, “The Art of the Comeback,” he wrote that shaking hands is “one of the curses of American society. … I happen to be a clean hands freak. I feel much better after I thoroughly wash my hands, which I do as much as possible.”
His aversion to germs might explain why he doesn’t own any known pets. He could be the first POTUS in 150 years not to have one in the White House.
7. He sends Pictures of his Hands to people.
via people.com
Many would recall the low brow, school-yard insults that were exchanged between Trump and other incumbents at the RNC debates. Marco Rubio’s remarks about Trump’s hand size in particular seemed to have struck a nerve with the Donald. Defending the magnitude of his meathooks is not new to Trump however. Apparently he has been trying to convince an editor at Vanity Fair of his hand girth for the last 25 years.
Graydon Carter is a journalist who claimed that after writing an article in which he called Trump a “short-fingered vulgarian,” began receiving envelopes in the mail containing photos of Trump with his hands circled in gold sharpie. Also written in gold Sharpie: ‘See, not so short!’ Carter called it “a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers.”
6. Trump Views Excercise As A Waste of Energy
via nydailynews.com
It might surprise you to know that Trump in his hayday was actually quite athletic. At some point however, Trump apparently decided that athletics and exercise were not a worthwhile use of his time.
In a book titled “Trump Revealed”, Washington Post writers Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher claimed that Trump thought exercise permanently sapped him of energy. “Trump believed the human body was like a battery, with a finite amount of energy, which exercise only depleted. So he didn’t work out”. Trump reportedly even told a colleague training for an Iron man Triathalon “You are going to die young because of this.”
5. He’s A Bit Hypocritical About Alcohol.
Donald Trump has publicly stated that he doesn’t drink, smoke or do drugs and has even put out a message to kids enjoining them to do the same. In interviews he has disclosed that his late brother’s struggle with alcohol heavily influenced his reluctance to use drugs.
This however, didn’t stop him from trying to profit from those who do. In 2006, Trump launched his own brand of spirit called Trump Vodka with the tagline “success distilled”. His foray into the alcohol industry was not a success though, and the line was discontinued in 2011. Trump has admitted to the irony of his involvement in the alcohol business telling an interviewer in 2005 “I sort of hated doing it,” and proposed he would “…donate any and all money that I make from alcoholic beverages to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) [sic]”.
4. He Seems to Function on Very Little Sleep
via thedailybeast
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump has made sport of his political competitors with comical insults that often framed them in a pitiable light. Trump would also brag what little sleep he needed (anywhere from 90 minutes to 4 hours according to him) and regularly made a point of comparing his energetic pep and activity levels with that of the other presidential hopefuls. On the campaign trail he once said to a crowd in Illinois, “You know, I’m not a big sleeper. I like three hours, four hours, I toss, I turn, I beep-de-beep, I want to find out what’s going on.”
If what he is claiming is true, it may be he is of a rare breed of individuals who possess the “efficient sleeper” gene. People who carry it seem to function perfectly on very little sleep without detriment to their health. This may be one of the common character traits of successful entrepreneurs.
3. He’s Repulsed By Bodily Functions
During a 2011 deposition, Trump reportedly called a lawyer “disgusting” after she began milking herself in the courtroom (using a breast pump). According to her, Trump immediately lost his bearing, “He got up, his face got red, he shook his finger at me and he screamed, ‘You’re disgusting, you’re disgusting,’ and he ran out of there.”
Trump’s lactation-intolerance was just a glimpse of his apparently greater distaste for bodily discharge. He called Hillary Clinton’s use of the bathroom “disgusting”, Chris Cristie’s eating habits “disgusting”, Marco Rubio’s fop sweat “disgusting”. At home, he and his wife Melania use separate but equal bathrooms.
2. He Doesn’t Feel His Town’s Big Enough for Two Trumps
via hollywoodreporter
There is little dispute as to the importance of the “Trump” name in the Donald’s business which is largely built on branding. Especially since Trump has earned much of his money through licensing.
So in 1984 when two South African developers named Eddie and Jules Trump began purchasing real estate around NYC as The Trump Group, Donald saw this as an infringement that could not be allowed to stand. He sought legal action against them but lost the case. He did however succeed in having their trademark revoked in 1988.
That same year, Trump tried to bring down the legal hammer once again on a different company, who in this case was selling business cards dubbed “Trump Cards”. The two parties eventually struck a deal they were happy with. In exchange for royalties and the rights to the trademark, the company could continue selling the cards and Trump agreed to endorse them.
1. Trump Believes Asbestos Would Have Saved The Twin Towers
via i.imgur.com
Since the 1970s, the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products has been carefully regulated due to it’s carcinogenic health risks. It was once added to flame-retardant sprays used to insulate steel building materials. Alternative flame-proofing materials are available but in Trump’s opinion, asbestos is “the greatest fire-proofing material ever used.”
In 2012 he tweeted, “If we didn’t remove incredibly powerful fire retardant asbestos & replace it with junk that doesn’t work, the World Trade Center would never have burned down.” He has even gone so far as claiming that the hysteria over asbestos has been propaganda generated by the mafia, stating that it was often mob-related companies that would handle the asbestos removal.
As the 2016 presidential race heated up, the media machines went into full swing, churning out a steady feed of the usual political drama and controversy that accompanies election campaigns. Among the field of incumbents however, one stands out. He eclipses the other candidates with bombastic swagger and an unorthodox, unpolitician-like mien.
He is Donald J. Trump. Real Estate mogul, reality star, outspoken Gemini and now, potentially — President. Exactly what that would mean for America is not so clear but as the prospect of a Trump presidency grows, it is only fitting that we conduct an astrological background check and investigate the cosmic forces behind the Trump persona.
