"Trump’s supporters . . . do not really hold him to the standards that human persons are held to. And that is because many of his supporters, like Trump himself, do not consider him to be a person — he is more like a primal force or superhero, more than a person, but less than a person, too."Daniel P. McAdams, Professor of Psychology, Northwestern University
Trump's supporters imagine him as a comic book hero. Or an agent of God.
They aren't being ironic.
Barack Obama had a rock star vibe in the beginning. Reagan's supporters imagined him as a cowboy with a white hat. George Bush tried out looking like a fighter pilot and drew guffaws. Bill Clinton was a man -- just a man -- glib, charming, and a notorious and all-too carnal horn dog.
Trump is something more. Trump has his own iconography.
There are many rational judgements and preferences that would explain why people might support Trump. People might like his judicial nominees, his views on borders, his views on Russia and Ukraine, his price supports for soybeans, his blood and soil nationalism, or the fact that he fights the people the voter dislikes. But that doesn't explain the blindness to his dishonesty and criminality. The simplest explanation is that Trump's strongest supporters are in a cult. They appear to have created a idol. A golden calf. They invested it -- him -- with magical power. Some have made him a comic book superhero. Others have made him sacred, a Christ-figure. But this Christ substitute is not meek nor does he consent to a fate of dying for others at the hands of Caesar or the Department of Justice.
Trump encourages and sponsors this idolatry. His official merchandise offers the images for sale. The images are noteworthy for the seriousness that Trump shows them and that his supporters display them. His Truth Social website has images of Trump as as Rambo; Trump fearless atop a tank; Batman Trump; Trump Bat-signals; Trump as sword-wielding knight; Trump as sheriff; Trump as lion; Trump as Savior and partner with Jesus.
These are recent images from Trump's Truth Social:
Trump is not the non-corporeal God of Abraham. He is the Greek gods of Homer or the magical people in the Marvel universe. He is larger than life. He makes his own rules. He is armed, sometimes armored. He represents strength and violence. He is also our protector, suffering for us. He promises a second coming.
19 comments:
Thanks for the explanation. This all makes sense. Where do we go from here? As for the supposed unraveling, "elections matter," as they say. Trump's ahead in the polls of likely Republican primary voters, stickin' it to the liberals. Hugh Hewitt alludes to the end of the Roman republic in characterizing our present political situation.
The Republican Party has degenerated into a demented cult lost in a bizarre alternate reality. Trump didn’t do it – he isn’t that competent. It’s been decades in the making and Trump is the apotheosis. To appreciate how insane the party has become, consider those seeking to take Kevin McCarthy’s place as House speaker: Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.
Stephanie Grace, a Louisiana politics reporter and columnist, told the New York Times that at the start of Scalise’s legislative career, while “explaining his politics”, he told her “he was like David Duke without the baggage.” When asked repeatedly by Chris Wallace long after the 2020 election, he refused to admit that President Biden was legitimately elected.
Jordan was a prominent supporter of Trump’s lie about electoral fraud. Efforts on Trump’s behalf included speaking at a “Stop the Steal” rally in Pennsylvania two days after election day; attending White House meetings at which strategy was discussed; appearing on Fox News to promote such efforts; and, on the morning of January 6 itself, speaking in the House, to object to results from Arizona. Five days after the Capitol attack, Trump gave Jordan the presidential medal of freedom.
Interesting times ahead.
We know. This is not new information. I am sick of it. More repetition.
I don’t think successive courtroom drama makes engaging media viewing. Sitting at a table glaring isn’t a powerful look, certainly not for a Marvel action figure hero. Even Trump got bored after two days…
Why not blog about the House of Representatives? Or anything else for that matter.
The song title "Burning Down the House" comes to mind. The song was released by the Talking Heads in 1983.
Note that in these images the expression is always a scowl.
It's the expression of the disapproving father; "Dad's Mad".
Most politicians make a point of smiling, to convey a sense of well being and comfort. It's a bit phony but we appreciate it, and we can tell when it's sincere or not.
Trump never smiles. The closest he ever gets is a pained grimace, but never an actual smile. I know it's supposed to indicate steely resolve, but really, it looks like an vexed toddler with a loaded diaper.
We avoid a dour looking person, though we encounter them all the time. This is the look of someone who is unhappy and unpleasant. I was trying to think of someone in public life who continually frowns and all I come up with is Republicans.
By the way, if you like those superhero pictures, you can buy them for only $99 apiece. And just think – they aren’t real, they’re virtual, so you don’t even have to handle them. And the money will go to Trump’s legal defense. But wait, there’s more: soon after you buy them, their value will drop.
Expensive but worthless unreal pictures of an imaginary hero pretty much sum up today’s GOP.
It’s my opinion that Trump is an instrument of Satan, not God, as he seems to have the values of Satan.
Note about previous blog: In the blog dated October 4, 2023, you included Pat Cipollone (Pasquale Anthony Cipollone) with Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani. I think this was a mistake. Cipollone was White House Counsel and he was not on board with the election deniers. He told President Dumpster Fire the truth about the 2020 election. I think you confused Cipollone with someone else.
Trump knows how to connect with mythical archetypes. That’s why those superhero images resonate.
That’s a political superpower.
Neither Biden nor Harris have that superpower. They should step aside for someone who might.
It was a campaign stop for TFG. A way to shift the narrative to something that benefits him.
Because it's always about him,.right?
There is no satan and there is no god. Nor is there an Easter bunny.
Why are people suprised when republicans do things that harm this country and the average Americans who built it?
That is their goal - more power for corporations and THEIR religion, and less Freedom for the rest of us.
One of the depressing aspects of this for our country is the increasing infantalization of the electorate. Adults should move on from those themes after about age 25 yet my fellow citizens are getting dumber. This is planned by the Right with the hollowing out of schools. Even Lord Trump blessed the stupidity of GOP voters before his first election run. One great irony is that many of these followers consider themselves independent and not needing to be part of a greater society yet blindly follow this charlatan just because he ‘hates the people they hate’. It’s hard to have much optimism for our country with a poorly educated electorate.
If anyone is interested in hearing more from the anti-45 wing of the Republican Party, The Lincoln Project has a Facebook page with 1.2 million followers.
Thank you, Unknown. You are right. I meant Kenneth Chesebro. I have corrected it here.
"Jesus Is Just Alright With Me"?
It sure looks like it's a '70s-era member of the Doobie Brothers sitting next to Trump.
Alex is too right. It doesn’t bode well for the future of our republic that a sizeable portion of our electorate prefer a treasonous psychopath with imaginary superpowers over Biden and Harris, who are competent and take their oath of office seriously. Republicans have declared war on American democracy, which is why Putin loves them so.
RE: "...my fellow citizens are getting dumber. This is planned by the Right with the hollowing out of schools."
Please help me with that comment. Oregon spends above average amounts per student in the K-12 public schools, yet rests near the bottom in education outcomes. Lately, Oregon wants to give diplomas to students simply getting older, not actually worrying about grading.
Grades have been inflated, and anyone getting a 3.25 or better GPA is automatically admitted to Oregon universities and colleges, while scoring mediocre grades in national, standardized tests.
Who's been running Oregon and the schools for the past 30 years?
I'm not defending the GOP, but they've had nothing to do with Oregon's education system.
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