Archie Bunker Changed—Some Never Will

All in the Family is one of my favorite TV shows. I watch it almost every night and own the entire series on DVD. Why am I telling you this? Because lately, as I’ve been watching it, I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s going on in this country politically. And you know what? Trump is like Archie Bunker—but worse.

The character of Archie Bunker and Trump have a lot in common. Both are New Yorkers. Both have racist tendencies—though I believe Archie’s stem from ignorance and learned behavior, while Trump's words and actions often suggest a belief that people of different races are lesser in intelligence and quality. Both refuse to admit when they don’t know or understand something. Both lie to cover this up. Both rely heavily on stereotypes. And both paint Republicans and politicians in a bad light. (For the record, Archie was a Republican.)

The key difference? Archie had redeeming qualities. His ignorance and intolerance were rooted in tradition and, more importantly, a lack of education. He was a working-class, politically incorrect character whose views were shaped by his upbringing and limited worldview, yet he had moments of growth and self-reflection. Trump, on the other hand, presents himself as an authoritative figure who rarely, if ever, acknowledges mistakes or changes his stance. Unlike Archie, Trump isn’t just a product of his environment—he has had education, wealth, and access to knowledge, yet he still chooses ignorance.

Trump displays traits often associated with narcissism.

Narcissism, as defined by the Mayo Clinic:

"Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism." 

Archie, by contrast, was simply uneducated and ignorant, not pathologically self-absorbed. A lot of Trump’s followers are similar—not necessarily bad people, but uneducated, just like Archie, believing things should work a certain way and struggling to see beyond their own logic. That said, education makes a difference. Some argue that Trump surrounds himself with “smart people,” but those individuals are often just looking out for themselves—focused on keeping the government out of their paychecks, bank accounts, and backroom deals.

Both Archie and Trump appeal to a certain nostalgia for a bygone era, but their approaches to race, politics, and personal responsibility are fundamentally different. Archie represented an older generation struggling to adapt to change, yet his story was one of potential growth—when confronted with new ideas, he could learn, even if reluctantly. Trump, however, doubles down on division and refuses to grow.

Archie also had Edith, who balanced him out with compassion. Trump doesn’t have that—he has only enablers. And even if he did, a narcissist can’t be wrong in their own mind. Archie had the one thing Trump will never have, and I don’t think it’s possible with a transactional narcissist like Trump: in the end, Archie had compassion and could see the other person’s point of view.

"This post reflects my personal opinions and interpretations. It is not intended as a statement of fact but as political and cultural commentary.