The 2024 presidential election is bringing attention to the different personalities of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. What can a deeper look into their psychology tell us about their leadership and impact on American politics? How do their unique character traits influence their leadership and how do voters see them?
Key Takeaways
- Over 206,000 words from Biden show he’s more cooperative and less pessimistic than Trump1.
- Trump was seen as more distrustful and focused on tasks, with a style that centered on the president and loyalty1.
- Biden is seen as Outgoing and Accommodating, showing a leadership style that tries to bring people together2.
- Less confidence in Biden’s respect for democracy and his ethics and health compared to Trump among his supporters3.
- While 81% of Trump supporters think highly of his presidency, only 57% feel the same about Biden’s3.
Analyzing the Personalities of Biden and Trump
A Unique Opportunity for Political Psychology
The 2020 election was a big deal for many reasons, including the big difference in the candidates’ personalities. Donald Trump was very outgoing but not very agreeable4. Joe Biden, on the other hand, was more friendly and tried to bring people together5. This difference gave us a chance to study how a candidate’s personality affects voters and the election.
Studies show that being more outgoing can make you happier and you’ll have more friends4. Being careful and organized helps you do well in school and work4. Trump’s personality was quite rare for a U.S. president4. He was very emotional and often felt negative emotions, which can lead to unhappiness and health issues4. Biden, however, had a personality that fits well with being a leader who tries to make peace5.
“The 2020 presidential election was a captivating event, not only for its political significance but also for the stark contrast in the personalities of the two main contenders.”
Methodology: Profiling Personalities through Content Analysis
To understand President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, our team used a detailed method. This method is based on personality traits analysis, leadership styles contrast, and decision-making approaches7.
We used a computer program to deeply analyze the campaign rhetoric, policy platforms, and communication styles of both candidates. This helped us create a full personality profile for each. This method has been proven in studies before to look at personality traits and decision-making processes of leaders7.
Our detailed study showed that President Biden is mainly Outgoing/gregarious. He also has a Accommodating/cooperative pattern and some Ambitious/confident traits8. On the other hand, former President Trump’s motive profile was “nostalgic hope.” He scored lower in mastery and focused more on spiritual aspects9.

Cooperative vs. Confrontational: Divergent Approaches to Others
Biden's Conciliatory Style vs. Trump's Punitive Tendencies
Biden and Trump have very different ways of interacting with others. Biden aims to build consensus and find common ground. Trump, however, uses aggressive tactics like which can change how people see him11. These differences affect how they handle policies and lead the country.
The January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol shows how different they are. The event hurt 138 police officers and killed five, highlighting Trump’s confrontational style12. After the event, Biden called for unity, while Trump and his supporters kept spreading false election stories10.
Personality Trait | Joe Biden | Donald Trump |
---|---|---|
Interpersonal Approach | Cooperative, Conciliatory | Confrontational, Punitive |
Communication Style | Emphasis on Building Consensus | Aggressive Interruptions and Tactics |
Response to Disagreement | Seeks Common Ground | Punishes Dissenters |
The differences between Biden and Trump’s personalities and leadership styles are huge. They affect politics and the country’s future. Looking into their views and traits helps us understand their decisions and how they interact with others.

Optimism and Pessimism: Differing Outlooks on Goal Achievement
Political leaders like Joe Biden and Donald Trump have different ways of looking at goal achievement. They show this through their optimism and pessimism levels. Trump is more pessimistic than Biden, showing they see things differently about reaching their goals13.
This shows Biden and Trump see goal achievement and leadership differently. This affects how they govern and how people see them14.
“The analysis focuses on similarities and differences in both inaugural addresses in terms of political communication, ideology, intent, discursive style, and rhetoric.”14
The way Biden and Trump view goal achievement shapes their political views and debates. It also affects their leadership and how they handle controversy14.

With many challenges facing the nation, it’s key to understand Biden and Trump’s personalities and how they communicate. This is important for voters, policymakers, and those who study politics15.
- The study looks at the speeches of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the 44th and 45th US Presidents14.
- The goal is to see what they focused on in their first speeches, against the backdrop of the country’s social, historical, and political scene at the time14.
- The analysis compares their speeches to see what they share and what sets them apart in terms of communication, beliefs, purpose, style, and rhetoric14.
Looking at Biden and Trump’s views on goal achievement gives us insight into the polarization and communication strategies that have shaped US politics lately14.
Understanding Biden and Trump’s personalities and how they communicate helps us grasp the political leadership and polarization in US politics15.
Studying their inaugural addresses gives us deep insights into their charisma, controversy, and communication strategies. This is key for voters, policymakers, and analysts as they navigate American politics14.
Trust and Task-Orientation: Contrasting Personality Traits
Biden’s balanced and focused approach has won over many voters16. They see him as a leader who can handle complex issues and bring people together16. People drawn to the Dark Triad traits might support candidates like Trump16. But most people see candidates with these traits as less appealing, which can hurt their chances in the election16.
Shared Perspectives: Hostile World View and Risk Aversion
Joe Biden and Donald Trump may seem very different, but they share some common traits. They both see the world as a hostile place. They also tend to be risk-averse when making big decisions19.
How U.S. presidents lead can greatly affect public opinion, decision-making processes, and the country’s place in the world. Knowing about personality traits and cognitive biases of Biden and Trump helps us guess how their different styles might change policy and governance21.
Personality Trait | Joe Biden | Donald Trump |
---|---|---|
World View | Hostile, Risk-Averse | Hostile, Risk-Averse |
Cognitive Biases | Black-and-White Thinking | Black-and-White Thinking |
Approach to Decision-Making | Cautious, Deliberative | Impulsive, Instinctual |
Interpersonal Style | Conciliatory, Cooperative | Confrontational, Antagonistic |
By looking at what Biden and Trump share and differ in, we can guess how their leadership might affect public policy, international relations, and the political landscape21.

“Affective polarization in the United States is not significantly higher than in many European countries, suggesting that something in the U.S. political system or social fabric exacerbates its impact on democracy.”19
Joe Biden VS Donald Trump: A Psychological Personality Analysis
The 2020 U.S. presidential election was a clash of contrasting personalities between Joe Biden and Donald Trump22. This analysis looks at the unique leadership styles and decision-making of these two figures. It highlights their different traits and what they mean for governance.
Biden looks forward with hope, believing in progress. Trump’s words often sound pessimistic and vulnerable23. Their different views show in how they handle policy and leadership, with Biden preferring collaboration and Trump taking a more adversarial stance.
These candidates also differ in trust and focus on tasks24. Biden is more trusting and cooperative, while Trump is skeptical and focuses on personal achievements.

“Trump is the Rain Man of nationalism.” – Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for Trump
Implications for a Biden Presidency: Carrots and Sticks
Looking at President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, we see big differences in how they might lead. Trump’s supporters showed strong support for him, even when he made tough choices25. This suggests Biden might be more willing to work with others than Trump was.
Biden’s team is likely to focus on policies and include many voices, unlike Trump’s focus on loyalty. The Biden administration aims to fix zoning laws and make cities more affordable26. This could change how cities grow and help more people.
Diverging Approaches to Policy and Governance
Trump was known for a tough, confrontational way of leading. Biden, on the other hand, might try to build consensus and find common ground. This difference in style could affect the U.S. democracy, which has faced big challenges lately27.
Biden’s focus on policies and working together could lead to better decisions. Trump’s style might have used “sticks” to push people apart, making things worse.

Leadership Styles: Interpersonal vs. Conflict-Averse
In the 2020 US presidential election, we see a big difference in leadership styles between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. The Hermann’s Leadership Trait Analysis framework helps us understand their unique ways of leading and making decisions.
Hermann's Leadership Trait Analysis Framework
This framework looks at a leader’s personality in several areas. It checks their interpersonal skills, how they handle limits, and their risk tolerance. By using this tool, we can see how Biden and Trump’s leadership traits might affect their presidencies.
President Biden is seen as Outgoing/gregarious, with a focus on being Accommodating/cooperative28. This means he prefers a style that avoids conflict and values building relationships29. On the other hand, former President Trump was more confrontational and self-focused, often acting impulsively and provocatively30.
The Age Factor: Cognitive Decline and Public Perception
Vulnerability to Manipulation and Negotiation Challenges
This difference in how they make decisions and interact with others could affect how the Biden administration handles politics and represents America globally34. The Personal Electability Index (PEI) has accurately predicted every presidential election since 1996. Its prediction of a Trump win in 2020 based on personality is worrying34.
Voter Perspectives: Uncertainty and Pessimism
A Challenging Electoral Landscape
The 2024 presidential election is bringing a lot of uncertainty and pessimism. Many Americans doubt the mental skills and leadership of both President Biden and former President Trump37. This could greatly affect who leads the country next.
The growing divide could be a big problem for the next president, no matter who wins39. Many people are unhappy with the state of the nation. The next president will have to work hard to bring people together and rebuild trust in democracy.
“The imperial administrative presidency elevates stakes in presidential elections, leading to fear of unchecked power in various policy areas.”39
Conclusion
As we wrap up this look into Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s personalities and leadership, it’s clear that knowing these traits helps us understand their policies and decisions. Biden is seen as more conciliatory and focused on tasks, while Trump is very outgoing and not always easy to agree with40. These differences give voters important info to think about when they vote.
It’s key for voters to get to know the candidates’ leadership qualities, policy differences, and how they speak to people4042. This helps them make a choice that fits their values and hopes for the country. By looking at Biden and Trump’s personalities and leadership, we can make better choices and guide the future of the United States.
Source Links
- Leader Personalities: Trump vs. Biden – https://www.duckofminerva.com/2020/10/leader-personalities-trump-vs-biden.html
- The Personality Profile and Leadership Style of U.S. President Joe Biden – https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/psychology_pubs/132/
- 2. Voters’ views of Biden and Trump – https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/04/24/voters-views-of-biden-and-trump/
- The Narcissist – https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/
- Personality Profile of Joe Biden – http://personality-politics.org/joe-biden
- President Biden’s personality characteristics and his success as US President: a brief analysis – https://medcraveonline.com/JPCPY/president-bidens-personality-characteristics-and-hissuccess-as-us-president-a-brief-analysis.html
- The Personality Profile and Leadership Style of U.S. President Joe Biden – https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=psychology_pubs
- The Political Personality of Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden – https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1123&context=psychology_pubs
- Presidential Profiles in Hope: Donald Trump and Joe Biden – https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-today/202402/presidential-profiles-in-hope-donald-trump-and-joe-biden
- Facing Conspiracies: Biden’s Counter-Speech to Trumpist Messages in the Framework of the 2020 US Elections – https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/5/134
- sl9208.indd – https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/391308
- Cognitive–motivational mechanisms of political polarization in social-communicative contexts – Nature Reviews Psychology – https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-022-00093-5
- Biden – Wordwatchers – https://wordwatchers.wordpress.com/tag/biden/
- PDF – https://repositorio.comillas.edu/jspui/bitstream/11531/46892/1/TFG – Comesana Perez, Andrea.pdf
- PDF – https://is.muni.cz/th/e30ek/Master_s_Thesis_Gritsan.pdf?lang=en
- Frontiers | Personality Goes a Long Way (for Some). An Experimental Investigation Into Candidate Personality Traits, Voters’ Profile, and Perceived Likeability – https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2021.636745/full
- PDF – https://econ.appstate.edu/RePEc/pdf/wp2203.pdf
- The two sides of Joe Biden – https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-two-sides-of-joe-biden/2021/01/12/ec0ea9d8-4f8c-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html
- Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says – https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/09/05/polarization-democracy-and-political-violence-in-united-states-what-research-says-pub-90457
- Understanding left-wing authoritarianism: Relations to the dark personality traits, altruism, and social justice commitment – Current Psychology – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-023-04463-x
- What if? Counterfactual Trump and the western response to the war in Ukraine – https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/99/2/605/7069031
- The Mass Psychology of Trumpism – https://newlinesmag.com/argument/the-mass-psychology-of-trumpism/
- The psychology behind voting for Donald Trump or Joe Biden – https://www.tudublin.ie/research-innovation/news/the-psychology-behind-voting-for-donald-trump-or-joe-biden.html
- The psychology behind voting for Donald Trump or Joe Biden – https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2020/1022/1173239-voter-behaviour-elections-politics/
- Four Forces Bind Trump’s Supporters More Tightly Than Ever – https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/05/trump-supporters-republican-approval-cnn-town-hall/674142/
- Tearing Down the Walls: How the Biden Administration and Congress Can Reduce Exclusionary Zoning – https://tcf.org/content/report/tearing-walls-biden-administration-congress-can-reduce-exclusionary-zoning/
- Five Strategies to Support U.S. Democracy – https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/09/15/five-strategies-to-support-u.s.-democracy-pub-87918
- Joe Biden Personality Profile and Leadership Style – http://personality-politics.org/joe-biden-2024
- The Political Personality of Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden – https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/276541349.pdf
- Microsoft Word – Trump unpredictability Turner Kaarbo [final version for Open Access].docx – https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/files/189358374/TurnerOKaarboJCRIA2021PredictablyUnpredictable.pdf
- Opinion | I’m a Neuroscientist. We’re Thinking About Biden’s Memory and Age in the Wrong Way. – https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/opinion/neuroscientist-on-biden-age-memory.html
- Are Verbal Flubs by Trump or Biden Signs of Cognitive Decline or Innocent Mistakes? – https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/trump-biden-signs-of-cognitive-decline/
- Biden and Trump Are Forgetful Of Some Details. But Here’s What Matters More. | FlaglerLive – https://flaglerlive.com/decision-making-presidents/
- Biden’s Mental State: What the Experts Are Saying – https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/politics-psychiatry-and-psychoanalysis/202009/bidens-mental-state-what-the-experts-are-saying
- The Rise of Political Violence in the United States | Journal of Democracy – https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-rise-of-political-violence-in-the-united-states/
- Microsoft Word – Press Release — Unity Task Force Recommendations 7_8_2020.docx – https://joebiden.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/UNITY-TASK-FORCE-RECOMMENDATIONS.pdf
- State of the United States: Biden’s agenda in the balance – https://www.ussc.edu.au/state-of-the-united-states-bidens-agenda-in-the-balance
- Political Polarization: Psychological Explanations and Potential Solutions – https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1909&context=nlj
- Microsoft Word – McGinnis Final Formatting – PAGINATION – https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-06/11.McGinnisRappaport_v83-1_pp5-60.pdf
- The Narcissist – https://theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/
- Age is one thing, when it comes to leadership — sanity is another – https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4477144-age-is-one-thing-when-it-comes-to-leadership-sanity-is-another/
- Dimensions of pathological narcissism and intention to vote for Donald Trump – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8049239/

Amanda Cassey is an INTJ entrepreneur and former psychology researcher who writes about the nuances of the INTJ personality type on Psyche Central. Leveraging her analytical mindset and commitment to personal growth, she explores the cognitive processes, strengths, and challenges of INTJs. Her insightful content aims to foster self-awareness and provide practical strategies for fellow INTJs to thrive.