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
Donald Trump is now leading in many polls and could retake the U.S. presidency, despite numerous scandals, indictments and erratic behavior. Explanations for his popularity focus on factors like white identity, right-wing authoritarianism, nationalism and populism.
U.S. politics has included people with these predilections for many decades, however, so the puzzle of Trump’s appeal remains. Other U.S. politicians, such as Pat Buchanan, David Duke and Ross Perot, previously tried to tap into these discontented outlooks with limited success. We have also seen unsuccessful attempts to provide a more refined version of Trumpism, notably from Florida governor Ron DeSantis. What is different about Trump that has allowed him such success where others have failed?
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…
Read the full article here