Are Trump's Followers Psychotic?
Questioning the Reality Assessment in Trump Supporters (Vol. 4; Issue 35)
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s refiling of the four federal criminal counts against Trump triggers yet another scary hypothesis regarding Trump supporters. Could they qualify as psychotic? The word, psychosis, refers to a loss of contact with reality. What constitutes “reality” brings its own controversies. Since Immanuel Kant (1788/2018), we understand that what we perceive as “reality” results from our nervous systems’ processing of information from our five senses. In truth, we have no idea what’s really out there.
And, the political world emerges from the social one—a further complexity involving multiple layers of interpretation. Nonetheless, social reality can be construed as consisting of a kind of consensus. We understand what stoplights mean, where to find groceries, and how to file our taxes. We can make judgments about persons’ characters.
All that being noted, myriad data points confirm Trump’s professional, political, personal, moral, interpersonal, and familial deficiencies. Why do his followers fail to comprehend these failings and their serious implications? In prior newsletters, I’ve strived to understand them through exploring cultism, dissociation, and irrational narratives.
In fairness, I intend no ill will towards Trump believers. Many legitimate factors could complicate their thinking. These include concerns about immigration, inflation, the viability of the US Constitution, reproductive freedom, access to health care, two raging wars, global warming, and Kamala Harris’ qualifications. However, and pun intended, the peril posed by another Trump presidency trumps these concerns.
One person I know thinks that Republicans, not Democrats, will preserve the integrity of the Constitution. He’s angry that Democrats “hid Biden’s incapacity,” used him like a puppet, and thereby subverted democracy. It’s possible—except for that last phrase. Advisors to FDR did a similar thing. Also, this person discounts the reality of putting a malignant narcissist—quite possibly a lizard-brained psychopath—back into the White House.
The recent Supreme Court decision preventing criminal prosecution of a president, directly contradicting the Constitution itself, further empowers Trump if re-elected. How could he be stopped from his impulsivity? How could people think that his advisors could influence him? Republican or Democrat matters naught; the Republicans failed to promote a viable candidate. Electing Trump again may bring the American experiment in democracy to an end.
The renewed criminal charges—which propose that Trump (as private citizen) conspired to overturn the lawful 2020 election results—invigorate concerns about Trump’s competency. Whoever serves as US President wields awesome power. These include the power to start wars without congressional approval, to launch nuclear missile strikes, and to issue draconian executive orders like utilizing the Army (intended only for foreign interventions) to quell protests in our country. Presidents can also issue executive orders, including ones restricting access to abortions. Therefore, even if “holding to conservatism” or simply sticking with the Republican party, supporters for Trump court disaster by having him as chief executive.
The question of psychosis proves relevant when considering a sampling of Trump’s flaws. None of these constitute “fake news.” They are facts of his person, confirmable through multiple sources, and they include:
Criminality: Well before Smith refiled the federal charges against Trump, he already faced an array of criminal and civil charges. E. Jean Carroll was awarded a staggering $500 million for emotional, reputation-related, and punitive damages earlier this year (because Trump sexually assaulted and defamed her). Last May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records related to his illegal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election. Trump paid more than $25 million in a settlement to people who attended the fraudulent Trump University. While president, Trump violated emoluments prohibitions by profiting off the presidency. Further, one of Trump’s impeachments resulted from him pressuring the Ukrainian government to help his reelection campaign by unlawfully withholding nearly $400 million military aid.
Abusing Power: Before US Attorney General Bill Barr turned against Trump, he made numerous decisions counter to Department of Justice (DOJ) precedent. Barr deliberately misconstrued information—at Trump’s orders—poisoning the reputation of the DOJ (which traditionally operates independently).
Mismanaging Foreign Policy: Trump botched the Covid pandemic, initiated trade wars with China, pulled the US out of the Iran Deal and the Paris Climate Accords, implemented the Child Separation Policy, and more.
Cronyism: At every stage of his presidency, Trump practiced overt patronization. He demanded loyalty—much like a mob boss—from those who sought to serve in the federal government.
Cult of personality: Many Trump political supporters display the cultish features of “true believers” (Hoffer, 1951/1989).
Authoritarianism: Trump referred to “love letters” passing between him and Kim Jong Un while he was president. He openly disregarded US intelligence regarding North Korean missiles, telling the FBI: I don’t care, I believe Putin. When Sean Hannity invited Trump to deny his intention for dictatorship, he replied: No, no, no, other than day one. We’re closing the border, and after that, I’m not a dictator. (Hardly reassuring).
Hypocrisy: Regarding abortion, gun control, Christianity (Trump bibles), and more. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump stated that Hillary Clinton should “not be allowed to run” because she had classified material on a private email server. A true, if painful, irony, federal prosecutors have since indicted Trump for illegally storing classified documents (some “top secret”) in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, office space, a bedroom, and a storage room at his Mar-a-lago estate.
Ignoring climate change: In that same Hannity interview, Trump added that, after closing the border… we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. He publicly disregards global warming substantiated by thousands of scientists around the world.
Misogyny and racism: Trump has made innumerable offensive comments about women over the years, including telling New York Magazine, You have to treat ’em like shit not to mention the fateful grab ‘em by the pussy comment. Just recently, at a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists, Trump said regarding Kamala Harris: I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black.
Violating presidential norms: By threatening violence, openly displaying racism and sexism, supporting authoritarian governments, and similar behaviors. Just recently, Trump posted an old photograph of Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton with a comment reading, Funny how blowjobs impacted their careers differently… Prior presidents have never behaved in such publicly vulgar and crass fashions.
One possible explanation for why so many Americans ignore these facts and support a deranged person for president is mass psychosis. The phrase, still used, also carries names like Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI), mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria and mass hysteria (Blackman and Walkerdine, 2017; Kelly et al, 2014). These psychological disorders can take form as reality distortion. The condition affects groups of people, features rapid infection, and alteration of function—such as the capacity to perceive reality.
Hoping to avoid threats of violence against myself (see points 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, and 10), I invite readers to form their own opinions regarding the possibility of mass psychosis in Trump supporters. According to the September 2, 2024 issue of the Guardian, (McGreal, 2024), many high stature Republicans share similar concerns about Trump. They include former White House officials, national security staff, a once-worshipful press secretary, and other former Trump fans.
Just last week, 200 Republicans who worked for President George W. Bush and former presidential candidates and Senators Mitt Romney and John McCain released an open letter supporting Harris and Walz. The letter declares Trump as unfit for public office. They fear he will impose an authoritarian plan to ensure right-wing control over the entire US government, namely Project 2025. In any event, and whether it’s cultism, dissociation, irrational narratives, or psychosis, even the most foundational level of reality assessment reveals that Trump brings irrefutable danger if elected again.
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References
Blackman, L & Walkerdine, V. (2017). Mass Hysteria: Critical Psychology and Media Studies. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Hoffer, E. (1989). The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements. New York: Harper and Row. (Original work published in 1951).
Kant, I. (1788/2018). The Critique of Practical Reason [Kritik der Praktischen Vernuft]. J. M. D. Meiklejohn (Ed. and Trans.). New York: Digireads Publishing.
Kelly, J.R., Iannone, R.E., and McCarty, M.K. (2014). The function of shared affect in groups. In C. von Scheve and M. Salmella (Eds) Collective Emotions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-965918-0
McGreal, C. (2024). Republicans are lining up to oppose Trump. Guardian, September 2, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/02/republicans-voting-against-trump-for-harris?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other