Trumpism: The Fire is not Contained

By now it’s clear that while we may have gotten rid of Trump, we didn’t get rid of Trumpism.  It was always there, of course, but it was like the piles of kindling that have built up in our poorly managed forests.  Over the last four years it has roared into the open, turning into one of the huge fires we have become used to each year.  It has darkened the skies and thrown a pall of smoke and ash across the entire country.  

I and many others had hoped this election would, if not put out the fire, at least squelch it.  The Blue Wave would crash over the flames, empowering more reasonable Republicans.  Trumpism would go back into the shadows.

But the fire was not dampened.  In some ways it blazed up with greater strength.  Despite 25000 lies, rampant corruption, impeachment, mishandling COVID-19 to the tune of millions infected and over 230,000 dead, shamefully ramming through a last-second Supreme Court appointment, a boorish and incoherent debate performance, and openly trying to disrupt the election and democracy itself—despite a thousand things that should have ended his career and lost him the support of all but a tiny minority—Trump almost won.  He got more votes than in 2016, and actually increased his share of the white vote.  By pledging fealty to him, his party kept control of the Senate (probably), almost won back the House, and held onto its strong position in state legislatures, ensuring that redistricting will, as in 2010, lock in place Republican advantages.  

Clearly most of what I call ‘despites’ were, in the eyes of almost half the voting population of the United States, not mistakes, not negatives.  They were pluses.  President Biden, and the remaining pockets of anti-Trumpers in the Republican Party, face a daunting task.  It is vital that we understand what Trumpism is, and why many Americans love it so.

The answer, in my view, has little to do with policy, and much more with human psychology.  As many have noted, Trumpism is a type of cult masquerading as a political movement.  Its appeal stems especially from a cult characteristic that is especially prominent in Trumpism:  it absolves its believers of all guilt and responsibility.  Trumpism makes it OK to be selfish, OK to be angry and vindictive, OK to blame others for your problems.

• According to the book  Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships, one common cult identifier is:  “The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (e.g., lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).”

• Genuine religions (sometimes) try to rein in our demons and encourage concern for others.  Trumpism instead lets the demons run rampant, under the guise of doing what is needed to stop some terrible threat:  Clinton, or immigrants, or socialists, or Black Lives Matter protestors.  

This syndrome, of encouraging our bad angels because they’re needed to cope with an existential danger, of casting politics as a drama of good vs. evil, is not unique to Trump.  Far from it.  It is characteristic of fascism and Leninism, not to mention countless episodes of religious fanaticism and personality-driven authoritarianism.  Terrible words and deeds become acceptable, indeed praiseworthy.

Let’s look at the key characteristics of Trumpism.  I count eight, though one could add others.  Together they amount to a complete reversal of our ordinary moral and practical judgements.  Here’s how Trump himself might summarize them.

Nothing is your fault.  The buck never stops here.  If something gets screwed up, find the culprit and explain how stupid they are, and how they did it on purpose because they hate you.  Like coronavirus:  China allowed it to spread to infect the United States and hurt my re-election chances. 

White guilt is bull***t.  Liberals invented political correctness so you won’t fight back when black people and immigrants invade your suburbs.  White people made this country—it’s ours.

Sacrifice is for suckers.  There is zero reason you should give up anything you want to help other people.  People who do this are dummies.  People who try to convince you to sacrifice something are trying to take advantage of you.  They’re probably socialists. (Or…hint, hint… Jews, or both.) 

There are no experts.  You are just as smart as anyone else.  Smarter, in fact!  So-called experts are mostly just pretending to know things so they can act important and manipulate you.  They think their education and degrees make them better than you.  Don’t fall for it.  Climate change, wearing masks, trickle-down economics—believe what works for you.

Truth and consistency are over-rated.  What is ‘truth’?  No one can answer that.  If you say something over and over, with enough conviction, and get it on TV, other people will agree with you, and that’s all the truth you need.   (NB — the bigger the lie, the better!  Most people can’t believe anyone would be brazen enough to tell such whoppers, so they think “there must really be something wrong with voting by mail.”)

And please, never worry that what you say today contradicts what you said yesterday.  Ignore it, and say something new to distract everyone (by ‘everyone,’ I mean the press).  Flood the zone, it doesn’t matter with what. They’ll move on.

Being rich is everything.  How do you know someone is really smart and talented?  They have lots of money.  They’re good at business.  Anything else is hogwash.  Don’t trust anyone who isn’t rich.  My job as President is to make sure rich people aren’t hindered by taxes and regulations and prissy concerns about ethics.  Being against rich people is socialism. 

Always lawyer-up.  Anytime someone does something you don’t like, attack, attack, attack.  Never admit you might be wrong or might compromise.  This shows weakness.  Look strong, talk strong, tell everyone how great and strong you are.  You’ll be adored.  Like I adore Putin.

Nobody is neutral.  People are either with you, or against you.  There are no disinterested public servants.  If they disagree with you it’s because they belong to the Deep State and are out to get you.  Get them first. 

For millions of Americans, these upside-down values are not disturbing but liberating and invigorating.  They come across as a (perverted) form of Christian teachings that the last shall be first, of American teachings that one person is just as good as another and anyone can be a millionaire.  If you are struggling and poor, a whole movement encourages you to point fingers and find scapegoats.  If you are successful and rich, it encourages self-congratulation.  You can be selfish, you can lie, you can indulge your anger and frustration and prejudices, all without guilt.  This is what will make America great again!  

This is not to say Trumpists have no real problems.  They have plenty.  But Trumpism is the antithesis of serious analysis and policy work.  It channels dissatisfaction away from fixing things to expressing anger.    

Not all Trump voters are Trumpists, of course.  Many are uncomfortable with Trumpism but like particular results, like low taxes or anti-abortion judges.  But in doing so they give Trumpism and its principles a pass.  They look the other way because it is in their self-interest.  As fallible human beings all of us sometimes avoid facing the full implications of our actions, or inactions. But after four years of Trump there can be no excuse any more.  We know what we are doing. 

Now that Trumpism has been unleashed, others will take it up with or without Trump himself in the saddle.  The basics of Trumpism overlap with the core message of modern conservatism, which exalts individual self-interest, denigrates the idea of a public good, despises government, and puts rich businessmen on a pedestal.  Conservative leaders and thinkers will continue to see it useful to fan the flames.  

The best hope for deflating Trumpism was, in my view, a combination of clear defeat at the polls, followed by an effective progressive government that quickly accomplished big concrete things that made the lives of Trump voters better—affordable healthcare, jobs from a big green infrastructure program, free childcare and college.  We didn’t get the clear defeat, and without control of the House and Senate, an effective agenda appears unlikely.  The odds of winning two Georgia Senate races are not good.  Maybe the Biden team can work some policy magic.  But it goes without saying that it will be Mitch McConnell’s mission to make sure none of this happens.  

I remain convinced that eventually Trumpism will burn itself out.  Without Trump himself in the White House and the platform this gave him to shape the national psyche, there is room to recover.  A few Republican Senators may feel liberated to act cooperatively.  But huge swaths of our country are already charred and blackened.  The fire is not contained.  It is not clear how much will be left standing.