When Two Eights Debate: What Trump v Harris Can Tell Us About The Enneagram's Boldest Personalities
Power-seeking, bold and unwavering, Type Eights are both a force to be reckoned with and impossible to ignore. The Challengers of the Enneagram do not back down easily. They make contact through confrontation and test others by seeing how far they can push them. So when a nation's two presidential candidates are both Type Eights, you'd better believe that barbs will be traded and shots fired as each tries to come out on top.
Case in point? September's long-anticipated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. The 90-minute face-off was a true display of Eights in action, with memorable moments from both sides.
In this article, I'm going to break down what I observed during the debate and dive into the underlying motivations of these two powerful personalities. But first, let's establish some ground rules.
A few things before we begin
Are Trump and Harris really both type Eights?
Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris display Type Eight traits and Type Three traits. Many commentators have landed on Eight for Trump and Three for Harris. While I don't hate the Three typing for Harris, her language and facial expressions during this debate were very Eight-ish power plays. She has also exhibited some very obvious Type Eight behaviors over the course of her career—enough to persuade me that Eight is viable for her.
That said, we don't know these candidates personally and I'm sure none of us has followed their every word and deed. Our take is only ever going to be speculative, and it's fine if another type resonates more with you.
Observation, not judgment
I am British with no skin in the U.S. politics game. I'm writing this story as a dispassionate observer, looking at the debating style of the candidates through the lens of the Enneagram, and nothing else. No political opinions, just type analysis. If you think I'm coming down hard on your favorite candidate, blame the Enneagram, not me!
The debate format does not show either candidate's best side
Healthy Enneagram Eights know exactly when to lean into their ability to take charge and when to graciously step aside to let others shine. They'll abandon their tough persona if it's necessary to serve others and create good in the world. I didn't observe much of that in this debate.
I'm not saying that Trump and Harris are unhealthy examples of their type, just that they were forced into an unnatural competitive format that frankly brought out the worst in them. In a different setting, we may have seen a calmer exchange of policy positions and more measured critiques. The format denied us the incisive, result-seeking, put-the-world-to-rights qualities that many of us like so much in Eights. We may never see a debate like this again, so let's not use this as a measuring stick for their overall character.
Now we have that out of the way, let's get into it!
Subtle Dominance, Shown With a Handshake
It didn't take long for the direct and dominant energy of both candidates to emerge. Harris set the tone by marching over to Trump's podium, reaching out for a handshake and introducing herself by name.
On one level, that opening handshake was a polite way to start off the debate. Very professional, very innocent, very appropriate. On another level, the handshake was pure power play—Harris wanted to demonstrate her gravity and authority, which is exactly the behavior we'd expect from a female type Eight.
But there's a third level, too. Apparently, this was the first handshake between presidential candidates since the 2016 election, when Trump faced Hillary Clinton. Harris must have known the significance of this moment. Was she trying to throw Trump off his game?
If so, that's a classically Eight way of doing it—confronting the competition head on and challenging them to match your energy. Even the healthiest Eight likes to confront and provoke in the right situation; they can sometimes view the world battlefield, always looking for the next opportunity to "win."
The Verbal Sparring Soon Turned Personal
Eights speak their minds directly and openly, even if it leads to heated discussions and debates. They absolutely are going to address issues head-on without beating around the bush. Under normal conditions, this directness can lead to quick resolution of issues. All cards are on the table and everyone knows where they stand.
But in a high-stakes debate setting, the Eight's directness can tip over into forcefulness. Convinced that their opinion is the right one, the Eight turns their directness into a form of attack, losing sight of the wisdom, discretion and compassion they're typically guided by.
One of the first and more heated exchanges between Trump and Harris focused on the economy. During that exchange, Harris called Trump out by name three times in quick succession, accusing him of leaving the country in a worse state at the end of his presidency ("Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the The Great Recession." / "Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century." / "Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.")
The accusations may have been wrapped in evidence (subjective or otherwise), but the language was unquestionably accusing, caustic and personal. It also cleverly set up an "us" versus "him" dynamic, positioning ordinary Americans as the victims and Trump as the enemy.
In this exchange, Harris is not interested in resolving issues or finding common ground; she was actively seeking to dominate and discredit her opponent. This behavior continued throughout the debate—she called Trump "weak" (the biggest insult for an Eight!) and a "disgrace" several times.
How did Trump respond? "She's a Marxist, everybody knows she's a Marxist. Her father is a Marxist professor in economics and he taught her well!" he volleyed back, and isn't that the same approach? She attacked his competence and character, and he attacked her competence and character.
Firing personal attacks to taunt and tease on their opponent's weakness is not uncommon for Eights when they feel challenged or insecure. It's a defense mechanism—if you can take down your opponent, then they can't hurt you.
The Eight-Eight Power Struggle Is Real, But There's More Than One Way to Seize Control
Given the choice between being the one who controls or the one who is controlled, an Eight will always choose control. Even the most laid-back Eight builds walls to insulate themselves from interference. They want to be in charge of their own destiny and make things happen on their terms, not someone else's.
So when two Eights go head-to-head, there will be a power struggle. But there are different ways of asserting dominance than simply clashing horns and proving that you're stronger than your opponent. Our two Eights showed this right from the get-go.
Harris chose the strategy of goading Trump. She came down hard on topics she knew Trump was sensitive about (his criminal conviction, how "boring" his rallies are, portraying Trump as a billionaire only out for himself), and kept these jibes coming throughout the debate. She laughed mockingly when Trump mentioned Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio. She smirked at him, she pulled faces at him, she shook her head.
Clearly, this wasn't done to educate the audience on policy. Was it an attempt to provoke Trump into displaying his angry side? Maybe. Eights are gut types; their emotion is anger. Harris may have wanted to expose that aspect of Trump's character on a national stage, and by doing so, establish herself as the cooler head in the room.
What's fascinating is Trump's response. We're used to seeing him assert his dominance loudly, through interruptions, crass humor, and whipping the crowd into a frenzy. While there was much of the usual Trump on display in this debate, and he let Harris get under his skin at times, he frequently chose to assert dominance through cool dismissiveness.
Some examples: he doggedly kept returning to the topic of immigration when Harris tried to change the subject. He turned questions back on her. He mentioned Biden as “Harris’ boss” several times, which was surely designed to anonymize Harris and deny her ownership of her own platform. He shifted his stance on the podium to barely look at her. When asked about his previous comments regarding Harris' racial identity, he dismissed the point as beneath him, saying, “I couldn’t care less. Whatever she wants to be is OK with me.”
It's almost as if Trump recognized Harris' power plays and chose to fight fire with water instead of fire. I don't think either of them were especially effective in their chosen strategies, but it's fascinating to see the different ways Eights can try to get the upper hand.
To Serve and Protect
While Eights are often quick to anger, a healthy Eight will turn their aggression towards injustice. These types have a keen sense of fairness and will fight hard for the underdog—whoever that looks like to them.
Both candidates displayed this sense of justice in remarkably similar ways.
Harris spoke to the people of America, and often to the "women of America", especially when emphasizing her commitment to reproductive rights. Trump spoke to the forgotten men and women of America who don't have a voice and are feeling the pressures of inflation, immigration and other topics. This is his base, his "underdog" community.
What's interesting is they spoke to their respective bases using the same type of language. Words like "us" and "we" and "fight for" and "courage" came up a lot—not surprising for an Eight, who wants to inspire others and unite them behind a common cause.
It's also notable that both candidates emphasized their desire to "protect" their constituents—Harris citing protecting the rights of women and minorities, and Trump emphasizing protecting American jobs and interests.
While they may have different ideas of what justice looks like, both Harris and Trump are driven by a fierce desire to serve and protect those they perceive as vulnerable.
Swerving the Talking Points That Made Them Look Weak
Toward the end of the debate, the candidates seemed to have little enthusiasm for big-hitter topics like the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas war. It's doubtful this was an energy issue. Type Eights will always find more in the tank for issues that matter deeply to them.
So why did they swerve these questions?
My take: Eights are uncomfortable with topics that make them look weak or vulnerable. My suspicion is that both candidates have underbaked policies on these issues. They'd rather not get into anything that could make them look "less than," so they sidestep the question and move on to something else. Whether that's enough to win the hearts and minds of voters remains to be seen.
Wrapping Up
It was fiery, it was personal, it was an uncomfortable watch for a One like me who prefers civilized debate over mud-slinging. But it was also a fascinating glimpse into the minds of these two powerful Eights and how they tried to out-maneuver each other for control. It wasn’t pretty, but it was real.
In the end, did either candidate deliver a knockout blow? We'll find out in November. Whatever happens, the 47th President of the United States will be an Enneagram Eight—are you ready for it?