Maybe tangential, but this thought occurred to me after reading this: if Trump is actually aware of his vices then that means there’s a degree of guilt. The question is then, would Trump ever be permitted to admit his guilt? And I don’t mean this necessarily to mean “would we ever accept an admission of guilt/remorse from him” as much as I mean “would the people who surround him ever permit it, or would they simply reinforce the idea that they need from Trump: that he cannot do wrong, etc.?” Because if Trump were to ever feel the sense of conviction and admit his wrongs, those who have hitched themselves to him would also have to admit those things (or at least admit to connecting themselves to a man who is willing to admit his own wickedness) and their lust for power likely won’t let them do that.

It just seems like a complete circle of awfulness. Surrounding yourself with sycophants not only prevents you from getting honest feedback, it also prevents you from being a better person because the sycophant cannot permit you to change, cannot permit you to admit that the version they embraced was somehow wrong or bad. I’d love to see Trump humbled and repentant, willing to accept the consequences of his actions, and attempt to make what meager amends he can with the time he has left. But I actually don’t think that will ever happen, not only because of his own arrogance, but also due to the people who surround him. He is practically predestined to be awful until the end.