What are Donald Trump’s Enneagram and Myers-Briggs Personality Types?

Real estate mogul. Media personality. Former President of the United States. Is there any role Donald Trump cannot play? Whether you love him or loathe him, there's no denying that Trump splits opinions and commands attention. But what makes him tick?

Based on our analysis — and his very public facade — we believe that Trump could likely be an Enneagram Type 8 and an ESTP personality type. Read on to learn more about his larger-than-life personality.

Typefinder Personality Type ESTP: The Dynamo

ESTPs are pragmatic, observant and energetic individuals who shoot from the hip. They like to live life in the fast lane, are known for their ability to think on their feet and have a tendency to quickly leap into action — often before they have thought through the consequences. ESTPs are the risk takers of the Myers and Briggs system. As Trump himself has said, “Sure, it's a lot easier to stay in your comfort zone... but sometimes you have to take risks. When the risks pay off, that's when you reap the biggest rewards.”

E / Extroverted: Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Trump appears to be in possession of sky-high Extraversion. He courts the media, is vocal about his opinions, and is energized by large audiences and lavish parties with important people. As Time Magazine wrote in 2016, "Trump is a student of the tabloids, a master of television... He knew how to win the crowd."

S / Sensing: While commentators have frequently called Trump's logic into question, there's no doubt he takes a pragmatic approach towards business decisions and policy-making. He appeals to audiences using real-world experiences rather than abstract theories. When the Boston Globe dissected Trump and Clinton’s presidential nomination speeches, for example, they found that Clinton focused on the big picture (“A country where the economy works for everyone, not just those at the top”) while Trump was more concrete in his vision (“I have proposed the largest tax reduction of any candidate who has run for president this year – Democrat or Republican”). These traits suggest a preference for Sensing.

T / Thinking: At his core, Trump is logical, objective and firm-minded. But he also understands what many miss — that people don’t always make decisions based on facts, and that emotions often resonate more strongly when it comes to influencing people's opinions. Trump successfully deployed "alternative facts" throughout his political campaigning. This is not the sign of an emotional decision-maker, as some have suggested, but a calculated, Thinking one.

P / Perceiving: Trump is impulsive. At his lowest point, he was facing personal bankruptcy after one risk too many. His impulsiveness can also be seen in his personal commentary, whether verbal or in late-night tweets. In Trump's own words, it isn’t planning that separates the winners from the losers, but “how a person reacts to each new twist of fate."

Cognitive Functions for Donald Trump

Se / Extraverted Sensing: Types that lead with Extraverted Sensing prefer to be out in the world, experiencing life through their five senses, and are extremely skilled in their ability to influence their immediate environments. Trump exhibits these traits in his ability to continually "read" his audience and adjust his responses according to how he is coming across. As president, Trump focused heavily on his ratings and what people thought of him.

Ti / Introverted Thinking: Introverted Thinking is a private system of logic that takes place internally, to the point where people with Ti often struggle to explain how they came to some of their conclusions. However, for Trump, it's the rudder that steers the ship. He speaks his own subjective truth, and his decisions always make sense to him, even if others struggle to understand them. 

Fe / Extraverted Feeling: Extraverted Feeling is all about empathizing with others to bring people together, which, in Trump, shows up as a fun-loving man who can turn on the charm and "schmooze." You can also see it in his frequent use of the royal “we” in his speeches (“We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.”) However, Fe is Trump’s tertiary function, meaning it is less developed and less used than his two dominant functions. This may explain why he sometimes lashes out when criticized, and comes across as spikier in his relationships with others than someone who leads with Fe.

Ni / Introverted Intuition: Someone with Introverted Intuition as their dominant cognitive function tends to have both long-term vision and a knack for synthesizing abstract ideas. Since this is Trump’s inferior function, these are skills he struggles with the most. He definitely appreciates the power of thinking big — "As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big” — but often talks about the future only in a vague way. Overall, he comes across as a man who is focused on the here-and-now and what is useful in the moment, leaving the future to take care of itself. 

More Facts About ESTPs:

• Makeup 6.1% of the population
• Overrepresented among MBA students
• Values at work include autonomy, variety, independence and structure
• Other famous ESFPs include Mike Tyson, George W. Bush, Park Ji-min (Jimin), Miley Cyrus and Madonna.

Enneagram 8: The Challenger 

With his commanding and assertive personality, it's no surprise that Donald Trump is an Enneagram Type 8. Most likely, he is a Type 8w7, which means he is more energetic, enthusiastic, charismatic and may appear more combative than other Eights. Individuals of this type tend to fill up the space, physically and energetically, and are pretty great at leading others inspirationally. 

Some other famous Eights include Kamala Harris, Serena Williams and Winston Churchill.

Enneagram 8: Inwardly 

• Wants to make an impact. Healthy Type Eights are ready to create a mark on the world and aren’t going down without a fight. They take pride in their bravery, independence and resourcefulness.
• Resilient and tenacious. "Sometimes by losing a battle, you find a new way to win the war," Trump once said. He has shown his resilience in face of several business failures and political controversies. He knows how to roll with the punches.

• Strong desire for independence. Like many Eights, Trump values his independence and autonomy; he hates to be controlled or censored. He has frequently used Twitter as a direct means of communicating with the public to control and shape his narrative, bypassing the outside-in view of traditional media.
• Protects the underdog.  “Donald Trump may have been oafish and crass, but he was on the side of the little guy,” wrote the Critic in 2021.  Type 8s love supporting the underdog — often because they see the underdog in themselves.  

Enneagram 8: Outwardly

• Assertive and protective. Eights are known for their assertiveness and desire to protect what's theirs. Trump’s “America First” policy reflects this trait.
• Speaks with conviction. Type Eight, along with Type One and Type Nine, make up the “body-based” triad. The primary emotion felt by this triad is anger. Although Types One and Nine tend to repress or ignore their anger, the Eight has no trouble voicing it and often favors confrontation and domination as a means of attack. Trump is well-known for his readiness to engage in verbal disputes with opponents: “When somebody challenges you, fight back. Be brutal, be tough.”

• Direct and straightforward. Eights are known for their plain-speaking and reluctance to beat around the bush. This is evident in Trump’s speeches and Twitter posts, where he is often blunt and lacking in any diplomatic nuance. For example, he famously goaded North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Twitter, writing “Will someone from his [Jong-Un’s] depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” 

With his Myers-Briggs and Enneagram types, Donald Trump presents as a dominant, assertive and resourceful individual who is unafraid to confront challenges and take control. These traits have undoubtedly shaped his unique style of leadership and public persona, making him one of the most controversial and talked-about figures in modern history.