"Richard Hofstadter identified a paranoid style of American politics in the 1960s. His student, Christopher Lasch..."

"... called out the narcissism of American society in the 1970s and ’80s that we now know metastasized into Trump. As a card-carrying historian (who studied under Lasch), I am going to give it shot. The contemporary Republican Party acts as if it has a histrionic personality disorder. Their election playbook speaks directly to type: create a straw man/woman of your opponent, throw corrupt corporate and big PAC money to attack it, and then lie, fearmonger and, well, be histrionic to win votes. Nothing about the truth matters. If the opponent has nothing to distort or take out of context, make something up. Act on rash decisions. Rationalize your choices, no matter how mistaken. Above all, play the victim and win at all costs."

Wrote Tracy Mitrano, last July, in "The Republican Party Has a Histrionic Personality Disorder/And the impact on national security is serious" (Inside Higher Ed). Here's Mitrano's Ballotpedia page. She's a Democrat, so she's not explicitly making the larger point like Hofstadter and her mentor Lasch. But it seems obvious to me: We see histrionics across the board in American politics.

I found that year-old piece after wondering why people diagnose Trump with narcissism, when his personality seems much more like what the DSM calls "histrionic personality disorder." 

Here's what the NIH has to say about HPD:

A pervasive pattern of attention-seeking behaviors and excessive emotional reactions characterize histrionic personality disorder (HPD). The condition is usually life-long, though onset is typically in late adolescence or early adulthood. Individuals with HPD are often described as seductive, self-indulgent, flirtatious, dramatic, extroverted, and animated. Individuals with HPD may feel underappreciated or disregarded when they are not the center of attention. They may be vibrant, enchanting, overly seductive, or inappropriately sexual. Patients presenting with HPD typically demonstrate rapidly shifting and shallow emotions that others may perceive as insincere. 

The roots of histrionic behavior can be traced back to ancient times when Greek and Roman physicians observed individuals who displayed excessive theatricality and emotional expression. These individuals were described as "hysterical," a term derived from the Greek word "hystera," meaning uterus, as these behaviors were believed to be exclusive to women and were caused by disturbances in the uterus.

Yes, you can tell this idea relates to the problems societies have had dealing that women (and what else, really, do societies have to do?). 

In the late 19th century, during the era of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud contributed to the understanding of histrionic behavior. He proposed the concept of "hysteria" as a psychological disorder primarily affecting women and characterized by emotional excesses and attention-seeking behavior. Freud's theories, although controversial and often criticized, laid the groundwork for the exploration of histrionic symptoms and behaviors.

As I've said more than once, there's something womanly about Trump.

Anyway, we Americans concentrate on the show, and politicians need to put on a show for us. Abraham Lincoln had his hat, and Trump calls attention to that for a reason.