Donald Trump is no stranger to making off-the-cuff remarks about genetics. Being the narcissist that he is, it is not surprising that, while he usually does not directly address his own genetics, there is abundant evidence that he believes that somehow, he is genetically superior to other people. Indeed, this kind of sense of entitlement is a hallmark of narcissism.

A 2016 article in The Independent by Caroline Mortimer discusses what biographer Michael D’Antonio said about Trump’s genetics claims. According to D’Antonio, Trump was raised by his father to believe in the “racehorse theory” of genetics, which is that “success” for humans is a result of “good breeding.” Naturally, Fred Trump believed that his family had superior genes. Clearly, Donald Trump believes that as well.

Here are a few quotes from Trump as of 2016. (There are surely many more by now, but more recent articles focus on other aspects of Trump’s obsession with genes.)

A PBS documentary quoted Trump as saying that he “believes in the gene thing,” and “has a very high aptitude.”

Furthermore, in a 2010 interview with CNN, Trump stated the following:

“Well I think I was born with the drive for success because I have a certain gene.

“I’m a gene believer… Hey, when you connect two race horses, you usually end up with a fast horse.”

“I had a good gene pool from the standpoint of that, so I was pretty much driven.”

It doesn’t take much effort to figure out what kind of people Trump thinks don’t have good genes. That would basically be anyone who doesn’t look like him, and anyone who doesn’t like him. Of course, that includes the great majority of the population.

Since Trump is apparently such a great believer in his own genetics, I think it behooves us to take a closer look at what his genetics actually entail.

Keep in mind here, when talking about behavioral genetics, that virtually all behaviors, according to researchers, hover between around 1/3 to 2/3 genetically determined, averaging around 50%, which completely makes sense, given the constant interactions between environment, the self (will power), and genetics which occur throughout our lives.

But first, looking at physical and health related traits, I will note that we have a very overweight, balding man with a family predisposition toward dementia.

Regarding Trump’s behavior, well, there is no sugar coating it. His behavior is horrible, so if genetics has anything to do with it, he has a poor set of genes. By the way, Trump has also stated that

Don Jr. has the world’s best genetics. I suppose that is because Don Jr. is the most sycophantic of his children.

Anyway, if there is any genetic predisposition to being a serial sexual abuser, Trump has poor genetics.

If cheating on a series of baby mamas, and discarding them for younger women has anything to do with genetics, Trump has poor genetics in that regard too.

If narcissism, with consequent delusional and dishonest behavior has any genetic basis, Trump has poor genetics.

If there is anything genetic about the tendency to manipulate and con people, out of their money or into supporting the conman, Trump has poor genetics.

If demanding loyalty from others, while being unable to give it to others, has any genetic basis, Trump has poor genetics.

If flip flopping one’s positions without giving it a second thought, and acting as though it never happened, results at least in part from a genetic predisposition, Trump has poor genetics in that regard, too.

If blatant displays of verbal aggression and bullying behavior relate to genetics in some way, Trump has another poor set of genes there, too.

I am aware that Trump’s various bad behavioral traits are overlapping and interconnected. Some of them may in fact be influenced by the same genes in fact. Thus, I could go on with my critique of Donald Trump’s genetics, but the more it goes on, the more these traits tend to overlap.

However, based on behavioral genetics research, we can be confident that Trump’s bad behavior does have genetic links, although not specific genetic causes. As already stated, virtually all behavior results from a combination of genetic, environmental and self-determination factors, so nobody should claim that Trump was predestined to become that person that he has become. Clearly, his life experiences, and how he processed them, have had a crucial role in shaping the person that he is now. However, his genetics can be said to have laid the groundwork for the horrible human being that he has become. A similar story may be told for any despot or would-be despot throughout history.

As a side note, while Hitler has no direct descendants, I did look up his relatives a few months ago. Hitler does indeed have fairly close living relatives, none of whom are criminals or infamous in any way. In fact, all of them seem to be law-abiding citizens who are leading normal lives, and presumably, downplaying their connection to their infamous relative.

However, it is clear that the field of behavioral genetics, suggests that Donald Trump has some very nasty genetic predispositions.

It’s past time to stop rewarding people such as Trump for behavior that is harmful to society. That would best be accomplished by having a progressive shift in our politics, economy and social institutions.

[Donald Trump believes he has superior genes, biographer claims | The Independent | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/…/donald-trump-president…)