Trump Cult

Art by Geena San DiegoPicture a group of people devoted to one all-knowing, omnipotent leader, who has been chosen by God to lead them, who channels the word of God, and who, eventually, becomes their God. Their beliefs encompass every aspect of their lives. They would turn on their own morals to heed their leader, shelter themselves from any criticism of their practices, show disdain for non-believers, and rely wholly on the word of their leader. According to sociologist and author Janja Lalich

New research suggests that the spread of misinformation among politically devoted conservatives is influenced by identity-driven motives and may be resistant to fact-checks. These individuals tend to prioritize sharing information that aligns with their group identity, regardless of its accuracy. The new research, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, utilized behavioral tasks and neuroimaging to understand the underlying processes involved.

Former president made almost 21 untrue statements a day while in office, analysis suggests

1. Introduction In August 2016, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced she would not support the Republican Party’s nominee for president, the former reality TV celebrity Donald Trump, because o...

One of The Washington Post's 10 Best Books of 2022 The disturbing eyewitness account of how a new breed of Republicans--led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Madison Cawthorn--far from moving on from Trump, have taken the politics of hysteria to even greater extremes and brought American democracy to the edge The violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a terrible day for American democracy, but many people dared to hope that at least it would break the fever that had overcome the Republican Party and banish Trump's relentless lies about the stealing of the 2020 election. That is not what happened. Instead, "the big steal" has become dogma among an ever-higher percentage of American Republicans. What happened to the Republican Party, and America, during the Trump presidency is a story we more or less think we know. What has happened to the party since, it turns out, is even more disquieting. That is the story Robert Draper tells in Weapons of Mass Delusion. Through his extraordinarily intrepid cross-country reporting, Draper chronicles the road from January 6 to the 2022 midterms among the Republican base and in the U.S. Congress, rendering unforgettable portraits of how Marjorie Taylor Greene and her ilk came to shape their party's terms of engagement to an extent that would have been unimaginable even five years ago. He also brings to life the efforts of a dwindling group of Republicans who are willing to push back against the falsehoods, in the face of a group of ascendent demagogues who are merrily weaponizing them. With a base whipped up into a perpetual frenzy of outrage by conspiracy theories--not just about the big steal but about COVID and vaccines, pedophilia and Antifa and Black Lives Matter and George Soros and President Obama, and on and on and on--the forces of reason within the GOP are on the defensive, to put it mildly. The book also benefits greatly from reporting conducted in Texas, Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, and other bellwether states in the country of the mind one might call a fever of undending conspiracies. Robert Draper has been a wise, fearless, and fair-minded chronicler of the American political scene for over twenty-five years. He has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. He has never seen it this ugly. Ultimately, this book tells the story of a fearful test of our ability, as a country, to hold together a system of government grounded in truth and the rule of law. Written on the eve of the 2022 midterm elections, Draper's account of a party teetering on the precipice of madness reveals how the GOP fringe became its center of gravity.

The ReAwaken America Tour, a pro-Trump religious roadshow, has become known for promoting Christian nationalism and right-wing conspiracy theories.

It’s a test — and a source — of loyalty.

Over one summer of decision in Philadelphia, the Founding Fathers hashed out exactly who was unfit to govern.

Donald Trump made voters a number of promises before they elected him. But has he kept his word?

President Donald Trump's last job approval rating is a personal low 34%. He averaged 41% job approval in office, a record low by four points.

The new single, “Justice for All,” featuring former President Donald Trump and the J6 Prison Choir, reached number one on iTunes' top songs.

And Republicans are playing down the rough public polling.

This is a tough column to write, because I don’t want to demean or insult those who write me in good faith. I’ve started it a half dozen times since November but turned to other topics each time because this needle hard to thread.

A demagogue, or rabble-rouser, is a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, especially through oratory that whips up the passions of crowds, appealing to emotion by scapegoating out-groups, exaggerating dangers to stoke fears, lying for emotional effect, or other rhetoric that tends to drown out reasoned deliberation and encourage fanatical popularity. Demagogues overturn established norms of political conduct, or promise or threaten to do so.

Mental Health Experts Say the Hour-Long Exchange Shows Trump is 'Irrational, Unstable and Dangerous'

An expert on autocracy assesses how far America has slipped away from democracy, and what it will take to get it back.

The Republican Party's transformation is apparent at any Donald Trump rally: The crowd is filled with working-class voters, many without college degrees, who are in lockstep with him on issues where he has overhauled the party's platform, from immigration to trade to foreign policy.

We're told that populism is on the rise - but what exactly does that mean?

New research argues feelings of disillusionment prompt people to take more extreme positions.

The former president’s hold on a portion of voters is already having a deep impact on the race.

Fox News Power Rankings expect Republicans to win the House with 220-248 seats. The number of seats depends on how many toss-up districts are won by each party.

He’s presiding over a movement, not a party.

"Justice for All" is a charity record by former United States President Donald Trump and the J6 Prison Choir, a choir of about 20 men imprisoned for their involvement in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. The profits from the song are dedicated to the legal aid of people incarcerated for the attack. The song was produced by an unidentified recording artist.

Analysts are downgrading their forecasts for GOP gains. Republicans are suddenly struggling with cash shortages. And the party’s own Senate leader is warning publicly about the falling likelihood that Republicans win a majority in the upper chamber this November.The mood has shifted among Republicans over the past several weeks, from a sense of unbridled optimism

On Wednesday's edition of MSNBC's "All In," during a discussion that touched on the Democratic overperformances in New York special elections on Tuesday night, former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) highlighted how former President Donald Trump is exacerbating the Republican Party's mounting fundraisin...

The song is simple and tinny, but that hasn’t stopped it from being embraced by former President Donald Trump and his allies in their campaign to rewrite the history of the deadly Capitol riot.