Trump, a con man?

“Con artists are motivated by a desire to be the center of attention and the power that gives them the ability to manipulate others.” (Maria Konnikova, author of "The Confidence Game)

"[They're] addicted to power, get a rush out of being able to pull one over on people and get away with it."

Along the way, they'll deceive people in order to get attention.

The Pulitzer-prize winning fact-checking organization Politifact awarded Trump's statements the 2015 "Liar of the Year" award.

But being a con artist isn't just about deception — it's about intent.

After all, many politicians deceive people. They're not all practitioners of the confidence game; many think what they are saying is worth the stretch of truth to accomplish their political goals.

"Trump is a con artist who is interested in politics only as a means to some other end.”

"He sees opinions as convenient tools for gaining what he actually desires."

Power and being at the center of attention would fit as a con artist's goal.

"Trump, as a con artist, would give up on politics the moment it stopped serving his purposes.”

Con artists are experts at telling their audience what they want to hear.

"Trump's promises are deliberately vague. He meets demands for specifics with another tool from the con artist's arsenal: emotion."

"Appeal to [people] on the emotional level lets you no avoid coherent arguments."

Trump "really knows what he's doing playing the media; it's certainly his greatest con technique."

He's willing to say anything in order to stay at the center of attention.

The appeals to emotion instead of fact and the desire to be at the center of attention certainly fit the bill of a con artist.