Whereas, Trump is constantly selling his brand. He speaks big and grandiose about himself and his business because he is ABC (always be closing). Before he entered the race, Trump was selling his brand as the best thing since sliced bread. One can agree or disagree with that sentiment, but it is not narcissistic. Big ego, yes...but Trump interacts with his audience and speaks to them as individuals as well as a group.
There is a difference between how Trump sells his “Brand” and how Cruz sells his. Trump goes for the positive and paints word pictures of his opponents that poke fun but are not vicious. Cruz on the other hand paints a doom and gloom picture of the world if he is not selected.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Trump has a larger than life public persona which, as you said, is all about the brand. He’s a salesman alright, but that’s not a bad thing. Part of Trump’s brand is to deliver on promises. If you do what you said you’d do, it’s a good deal and burnishes the brand. If you fail to deliver it tarnishes the brand—anathema to Trump.
Here’s the most dispositive way to know Trump isn’t a narcissist. People who know him best say his private persona differs from the public one. In private, they say, he is warm, kind and humble. That, quite simply, is something that is never said of a narcissist. They can certainly feign warmth and caring, but like Bill Clinton’s quivering lower lip, it’s not the real thing.