Psychological projection is a defense mechanism in which the human ego defends itself against unconscious impulses or qualities (both positive and negative) by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others.

Some historians have argued that there is an element of psychological projection in conspiracism. This projection, according to the argument, is manifested in the form of attribution of undesirable characteristics of the self to the conspirators.

Historian Richard Hofstadter stated that:
This enemy seems on many counts a projection of the self; both the ideal and the unacceptable aspects of the self are attributed to him. A fundamental paradox of the paranoid style is the imitation of the enemy. The enemy, for example, may be the cosmopolitan intellectual, but the paranoid will outdo him in the apparatus of scholarship, even of pedantry. … The Ku Klux Klan imitated Catholicism to the point of donning priestly vestments, developing an elaborate ritual and an equally elaborate hierarchy. The John Birch Society emulates Communist cells and quasi-secret operation through “front” groups, and preaches a ruthless prosecution of the ideological war along lines very similar to those it finds in the Communist enemy. Spokesmen of the various fundamentalist anti-Communist “crusades” openly express their admiration for the dedication, discipline, and strategic ingenuity the Communist cause calls forth.

Hofstadter also noted that “sexual freedom” is a vice frequently attributed to the conspiracist’s target group, noting that “very often the fantasies of true believers reveal strong sadomasochistic outlets, vividly expressed, for example, in the delight of anti-Masons with the cruelty of Masonic punishments.”

Projection tends to come to the fore in normal people at times of personal or political crisis[17] but is more commonly found in personalities functioning at a primitive level as in narcissistic personality disorder or borderline personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder with a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. Those affected often spend much time thinking about achieving power or success, or on their appearance.[3] They often take advantage of the people around them.[3] The behavior typically begins by early adulthood, and occurs across a variety of social situations. This not defined as ;hitting back ten times harder;

Calling George Conway a “whack job” Hillary as a “crook”, a congresswoman (Maxine Waters) as “low IQ” are a few examples. Having passed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment basically proves that you don’t drool. Telling the world that you are a stable genius and Vladimir Putin repeating that only proves gullibility. It doesn’t take a weatherman to see which way the wind blows (Bob Dylan – Subterranean Homesick Blues). Declining cognitive ability is obvious.

Please note: much of the above was compiled from the APA and Wikipedia. Also, I never mentioned Donald Trump. If you think this applies to him, so be it.