7/2/2023 0 Comments Trumps cult animosity sign upWith all his histrionics and theatrics, Trump brought the dark side of American politics to the fore: the alienated, the distrustful, voters willing to sacrifice democracy for a return to white hegemony. In 2016, Donald Trump recruited voters with the highest levels of animosity toward African Americans, assembling a “schadenfreude” electorate - voters who take pleasure in making the opposition suffer - that continues to dominate the Republican Party, even in the aftermath of the Trump presidency. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C., on politics, demographics and inequality. Greg McGann is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who lives in Gainesville.Trump’s Cult of Animosity Shows No Sign of Letting Up Trump’s supporters and America will do so as well, once they let go of the dirt that holds them so tightly. It was difficult dislodging my little shrub, but by being moved it will, after a brief recovery period, grow into a better version of its former self. This is corruption of a degree that threatens our democracy. This is not a hoax, witch-hunt or nothing burger. They then went to extraordinary efforts to cover up these wrongdoings. To do so they used Rudy Giuliani and hapless appointees to undermine principled career public servants. They attempted to do so cravenly by withholding funding that Congress approved and that Ukraine needs to resist Russian aggression. Trump, and his acting chief of staff, have admitted attempting to shake down an ally, Ukraine, in order to win, actually steal, another election. It is imperative that all of America, especially Trumpers, pay attention now to the developing impeachment process. What does the Trump cult draw from him? Why do Trumpers continue to cling to a man so undeserving?ĭozens of books and hundreds of articles have attempted to explain - Trump is admired by his followers because he speaks his own mind Trump’s made it acceptable to feel politically incorrect again Trump taps into class and race resentment Trump is the authoritarian some people seem to need in difficult times. My little shrub extracted moisture and nutrients from the soil. Trump embodies none of these qualities yet most Republicans, and 30-40% of all Americans remain slavishly supportive. Even in the so-called liberal bastion of Gainesville, daily letters excuse the inexcusable, defend the indefensible, rationalize the insane.Īmericans are famously diverse, but certain core qualities have always been valued within every group-competence, decency, compassion and trustworthiness, and we have always expected the same of our leaders. It dismays to watch the Republican Party ignore Trump’s incompetence and corruption. But in the kingdom of Trump, the tenacity with which his followers cling is an illogical and dangerously troubling phenomenon. In the plant kingdom a deep root system is a sign of a healthy, well-established specimen. Their devotion is frequently accompanied by a seething, defensive hostility that denies, often with threats and violence, the obvious faults of their leader. This is not the case with the cult of Trump. Their devotion was puzzling but they did not threaten to beat up anyone who did not share their attachment. They dressed alike, and shared an ephemeral flightiness and detachment from the complications of daily reality as distinctive as a MAGA hat. When I moved to Gainesville 40-plus years ago I met a number of followers of a certain Eastern “guru.” These folks were a cult. It took a full sweaty hour to finally extract that three-foot-tall plant.Īs I worked the thought occurred that, like my stubborn Loropetalum chinensis, the cult around President Donald Trump must have roots that are deep and tangled. I worked, at times from my knees, spading, separating, tugging at a network of roots that spread deeply into the earth. If you’ve never done this, it can be surprisingly difficult to extract a mature plant from the ground, for the root system that lies underground is so much more extensive than what shows above ground. One morning recently I set about transplanting a shrub in my yard.
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