When Trump's early cabinet appointees turned out to be corrupt scumbags and grifters,

[vlyons]

I realized that eventually we would get to impeachment. When it was revealed that his cruel immigration policy was locking up little children away from their parents, I was even more certain that he would dishonorably be shown out the door. He could have chosen to be a decent president with a legacy of accomplishment that improved the lives of all Americans. But no. He chose to use his office in the furtherance of his own self-cherishing. What a wasted opportunity. What a wasted life.

[Ohiogal]

1. IMO,

He relished using his office to get revenge on all the things he hated: Immigrants, Obama’s legacy programs, taxes for the wealthy, basic civil rights for marginalized people, anyone highly educated, etc. He seems to revel in being cruel and revengeful.

A wasted life, so true.

[PSPS]

2. Not just "early appointees." They've been consistently crooks and grifters even now.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I don't think he could have chosen to be decent

70 years of selfishness and greed just can't be overcome in a year or two. With just about any other Republican, I could point to some act or accomplishment that implies decency (even if from a misguided point of view - I think Cheney really thought he was a patriot, for instance, and years in politics implies some idea of working for the country).

But everything Trump has done since about age 7 has been about him. He's brought up awful children too. He ran for president to get more power. He divides the country on purpose, since he sees that as a way to get elected, so he doesn't count as a patriot by anyone's definition. He even hates pets.

[vlyons]

4. Oh he could have chosen to be decent

As a Buddhist, I believe that everyone has Buddha nature, but it's just unrealized. Trump's psychology is such that change for the better would be a very remote possibility, but still a possibility if he were to want it badly enough.

You're right that he has a lifetime of childish selfishness pushing him. His behavior is unmindfully habitual. That's part of how karma works and keeps us locked into habitual patterns. Change is painful. It takes a very great and painful shock to the mental system to get to the resolve to change a pattern. Then it takes work on one's self to actually change and become victorious over the pattern.

Oh the webs we weave, when first we practice to deceive.