https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2025/Items/Dec23-2.html says fundamental to Trump is grift, ego and revenge, which I think is right. But there is more to it. I think also important is the Great Pretender personality and walk-on-water-level of delusions of grandeur, perhaps stylable as reverse Imposter Syndrome.
The Great Pretender in the 2 senses of liar and aspiring candidate risking all to overcome all odds and win power. This is consistent with entrepreneurship, and rational reliance on trial and error. The delusions of grandeur stem perhaps from not expecting to win in 2016 but winning anyway and in 2020 prevented by his Secret Service from acting and left to stew at the White House, then coming back to win in 2024. That reversal of fortunes would be enough to go to anyone’s head but still leave them in touch with reality, if also committed to revenge on opponents.
I haven’t seen reports of him having good feelings about people, but I think that he must be capable of this to have retained the services of his children. I think the reason he pardoned the January 6 rioters was more gratitude, and not so much to poke his opponents in the eye, to say, My enemy’s enemy is my friend. Admittedly, the other motivation was to give Obama and Biden a black eye1. Because the political consequences could only be a negative.
Me at