Psychologists Decode Trump's DARVO Tactics as Political Manipulation Strategy
For years, mental health professionals have observed that President Donald Trump's behaviors, often described as exhibiting traits of malignant narcissism, pose significant concerns for national discourse. Experts highlight his frequent use of psychological manipulation techniques, particularly gaslighting, which involves making victims question their own reality and perceptions. Recently, attention has shifted to another classic narcissist strategy Trump employs with alarming regularity: DARVO, which stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender.
The Mechanics of DARVO Manipulation
DARVO represents a manipulative tactic commonly utilized by narcissistic abusers to avoid accountability. The process involves three distinct phases: first, denying any wrongdoing; second, attacking the individual who confronts them; and third, reversing roles to portray themselves as the victim. Because most people remain unfamiliar with DARVO, they often lack the tools to effectively counter this deceptive strategy. Jennifer Freyd, a pioneering trauma psychologist who originally coined the term DARVO, asserts that Trump and his team have weaponized this approach for years to distort reality and public perception.
In an opinion piece published in The Hill last spring, Freyd and her research collaborator illustrated how Trump justified imposing steep tariffs on other nations by arguing that America had been humiliated and exploited by foreign countries for decades. Whether Trump consciously knows the term or not, Freyd wrote that he demonstrates remarkable proficiency in DARVO, using it to discredit women who accused him of sexual assault, deflect blame during various controversies, and even blame Ukraine for Russia's invasion.
Psychological Impact and Effectiveness
Sarah Harsey, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University-Cascades who has researched DARVO as a manipulation technique, describes Trump's use of the strategy as "exceptionally blatant." DARVO proves extremely effective because, for narcissists, acknowledging wrongdoing threatens their sense of power and control while bringing them closer to facing accountability for harmful conduct. When cornered into taking responsibility, DARVO users cleverly shift attention away from their original misconduct by introducing misleading or fictitious counter-narratives.
"This technique injects a misleading or fictitious counter-narrative that can be compelling for people to believe," Harsey explained. "It can also be confusing: Who's telling the truth, what really happened?" Her research with Freyd shows that DARVO correlates with higher rates of sexual harassment perpetration and greater acceptance of rape myths, though ordinary narcissists also employ it due to its effectiveness. The goal isn't necessarily to convince everyone that the counter-narrative is true, but rather to muddy the waters enough that people struggle to determine the truth.
Avigail Lev, a psychologist based in San Francisco, notes that DARVO places the actual victim on the defensive, making them feel compelled to explain, defend, or question themselves. Lev provides an everyday example: if a spouse confronts their partner about arriving home late, the DARVO-using partner might deny any agreement about curfew, attack by saying "Why are you so insecure?" and reverse roles by portraying themselves as victimized by jealousy. This allows the perpetrator to claim moral high ground while leaving their partner confused and discredited.
Historical Examples and Political Applications
As documented by Freyd and Harsey in The Hill, Trump has utilized DARVO tactics from the beginning of his political career. "Even before his inauguration in 2017, he said that the voice heard in the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape wasn't his," Harsey noted. Later, he employed DARVO against E. Jean Carroll, who described being sexually assaulted by Trump in her memoir. Trump denied ever meeting her, attacked her character by calling her a "nut job" and "whack job," and in Carroll's defamation case against him, argued he was the victim of a "witch hunt."
Harsey emphasizes that DARVO proves harmful whenever government officials use it, citing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's response to sexual harassment allegations as another example. However, Trump's application remains "exceptionally blatant," with consistent denial, attack, and victim-playing that appears almost absurd in its frequency. Moreover, Trump appears to have enabled those in his inner circle to adopt similar tactics. Harsey points to Vice President JD Vance's characterization of Minneapolis residents killed by federal agents as "domestic terrorists" and "assassins" as an example of DARVO in action.
Similarly, Attorney General Pam Bondi extensively utilized DARVO tactics during her House Judiciary Committee hearing, particularly favoring the "attack" aspect by repeatedly insulting questioning lawmakers. "There are ways the president and his officials could refute claims without using DARVO, yet they choose this tactic that inflicts as much harm as possible," Harsey observed.
Countering DARVO Manipulation
To combat DARVO, Harsey recommends understanding it as a manipulative tactic and learning to recognize its predictable pattern. "Because DARVO follows a predictable pattern (deny, attack, and reverse victim and offender), it becomes fairly easy to spot when it's used," she explained. "We've conducted research that shows how educating people about DARVO renders it a little less convincing."
In personal interactions, defending against DARVO involves naming the manipulative strategy and labeling the behavior as it occurs. However, when Americans experience DARVO from political leaders, the challenge differs since they're not in direct conversation. Lev suggests that reporters in the White House press corps can play a crucial role by calling out DARVO directly, as demonstrated when CNN's Kaitlan Collins confronted press secretary Karoline Leavitt by calmly reading back verbatim quotes.
When experiencing DARVO collectively, Lev emphasizes the importance of continuing to speak truth and articulate facts to maintain shared understanding of reality rather than succumbing to further gaslighting. She advises cultivating critical and discerning thinking to examine facts and form values-based opinions grounded in moral judgments rather than adopting predetermined narratives. "We should encourage people to use critical thinking and deductive reasoning and to notice cognitive distortions and manipulations so that we can maintain a shared sense of reality rather than falling for propaganda," Lev concluded.
