Trump’s Personality Cult Plays a Part in His Political Appeal
Personality measures suggest Donald Trump exerts a cult of personality over his followers, people who are psychologically susceptible to his appeal. This could help explain how he has succeeded in U.S. politics while other populists have not
By Ben Goldsmith & Lars J. K. Moen
Scientific American, June 4, 2024
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Support from a “personality cult”—something his would-be successors lack—has, we believe, been essential for Trump’s political success. In new research, we argue that there is an identifiable hard core of extremely loyal Trump supporters that comprise his personality cult. Members of such a cult show unquestioning loyalty to a strong leader, such as Argentina’s Juan and Eva Perón or Italy’s Benito Mussolini, whom they perceive as infallible and truthful. Their devotion has religious parallels as they consider their leader a savior with unique ability to protect society against internal or external threats. Trump has himself embraced such a status in relation to his followers in statements such as “I am your voice” and “I alone can fix it,” both of which he declared at the 2016 Republican convention.
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Personality cults are commonly associated with authoritarian systems, where a strong leader sits atop a regime with strict control of public information. It may therefore seem surprising to find this level of loyalty to a former president in the U.S. However, we identify a group of cultlike Trump followers by their loyalty and personality characteristics. We suggest that commanding such a personality cult lets Trump succeed, where other U.S. right-wing populists fail.
Here’s how. We collected data from two nationwide surveys of U.S. adults in 2021 and 2016, with 1,083 and 4,270 respondents, respectively. We differentiated the most loyal Trump supporters from the rest of the American population, including those who merely voted for Trump and supported his policies, by measuring three aspects of Trump support: unquestioning credulity, exemplified by the belief that he was in fact the legitimate winner of the 2020 election; belief in Trump’s leadership abilities; and belief in his elevated stature—a status frequently disrespected by the mainstream media. Strong Trump supporters comprise around 10 and 6 percent of the people in the two studies, respectively 33 and 13 percent of all Republicans.
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With a view of Trump supporters as a personality cult, it is not surprising that they possess self-images that include a high level of self-discipline. Cult members show stable, disciplined loyalty to their leader and their cult. The opportunity to follow a strong leader provides followers with pronouncements, actions and beliefs to which they can adhere in a disciplined way. While conservatives value social stability and order, cult members can favor destabilizing acts like the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
What does this mean for U.S. politics? Devoted support for Trump demonstrates how political behavior need not be based on policy preferences or ideology. It might instead be motivated by psychological needs found in individuals seeking the guidance of strong leadership. Loyal Trump supporters put their faith in a strong leader they believe can effectively solve problems and save their country from internal and external threats. They find assurance in a leader boasting “I alone can fix it.”
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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-personality-cult-plays-a-part-in-his-political-appeal/
Otherwise, it's like TSF's straight outta "A Face in the Crowd."
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