One of the horrors of aging for the collagen-deprived is a thinning epidermis and the bruising consequences of casual contact with previously benign surfaces. Donald Trump’s skin is as thin as a rat’s ear. So thin-skinned is the U.S. president, he has resorted to investigating and punishing his critics, letting the word “treason” tumble from his pouting lips.

What could explain such a fragile ego in the world’s most powerful man? His appetite for attention is never sated, and his intolerance for criticism makes him immune to humility. Trump may be physically large and perhaps enjoys towering over smaller mortals. But his recent acts of retribution toward those who have criticized or disagreed with him show that he’s like the bullied kid who takes a weapon to school.

In a pair of signed memorandums earlier this month, Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate two officials from his first administration and stripped them of any security clearances they might have. Their offense? Defiance.

Miles Taylor, a former high-ranking official in the Department of Homeland Security, became an outspoken critic of Trump’s ineptitude and corruption during the president’s first term. In September 2018, Taylor wrote an anonymous op-ed in the New York Times elaborating on his observations. In 2023, he published a prophetic book, “Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy From Trump’s Revenge.” Beware authors, scribes and critics, all.

As Trump ordered officials to dig into Taylor’s record, he said without irony that Taylor had “stoked dissension” and “disclosed sensitive information,” adding, “This conduct could properly be characterized as treasonous. We’ll see.” (Treason is a capital offense.)

A message posted on WhiteHouse.gov conforms to my theory that people often say about others what they unconsciously believe about themselves: “Taylor is a bad-faith actor who weaponized and abused his government position, prioritizing his own ambition, personal notoriety, and monetary gain over fidelity to his constitutional oath.”

Chris Krebs, a former top cybersecurity official, dared question Trump’s claim that the 2020 election had been stolen. There was no evidence — ever — of a stolen election or voter fraud, except the actions of Donald Trump when he urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the election results in his state.

All but the dim-witted know by now that Joe Biden won the 2020 election fair and square, a fact for which Trump should be grateful.

If not for Biden’s cognitive decline, and the Democratic Party’s and the White House’s ongoing lies that he was sharp as a tack when his mental and physical frailties were plain to see, Trump probably could not have weaseled his way back into the White House. He was persona non grata until a Black woman challenged his manhood with a radiant smile and the kind of moxie he might have found appealing under other circumstances.

But the wee man is always a sore loser. This one is also a sore winner.

Retribution by Trump comes in a variety of ways. He revoked the security clearances of Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken and Hillary Clinton, among others. He also revoked Secret Service protection for Biden’s adult children.

And we’re not even three months into his reign of errors.

Which is to say, worry not so much about tariffs yet and Trump’s Cabinet of senior superlatives: most likely to plump her lips, most likely to win a seat for being on TV, etc. Far more dangerous to the well-being of the country is Trump’s usurpation of power from independent agencies that might interfere with his ambitions for absolute rule.

Yes, worry about the incompetence that led to a Defense Department Signal group chat about airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthis that included a top magazine editor. Oops. Worry more about Trump’s intention, if possible, to show that law firms he doesn’t like possibly violated civil rights laws by discriminating against White people in their diversity-driven hiring practices.

These may seem like small maneuvers in keeping with presidential prerogatives. More likely, they’re big steps toward eliminating any obstacles to policy goals Trump believes will keep him in the White House for a third term.

Trump wants to celebrate his June 14 birthday — which happens to coincide with the Army’s 250th anniversary — with a four-mile-long military parade.

If the parade pans out, it would be a first in U.S. history.

The closest any president has come to parade-like behavior on his birthday was Dwight D. Eisenhower, a World War II general and war hero whose 63rd birthday party was also a fundraiser for the Republican Party. It took place in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and included a big-tent production by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. At 6:14 p.m., Eisenhower’s entourage of three cars entered Hershey Stadium and drove around the track. As the president and his wife, Mamie, stood by a table at one end of the stadium, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”

Granted, no other president could claim a military anniversary as an excuse to salute himself. But don’t think for one minute that this parade won’t be about Trump. Everything is about him.

Kathleen Parker’s email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.