[Note: From my Facebook Feed] [Graphic by Peggy Rowe, 2020]
Also taken from a post found on the page of cousin, Donald Beattie …
A graphic made in answer to a friends stupid graphic about wanting closed borders and other idiotic things.
Why do people still support Trump after he called part of the Constitution phony?
Perry Phillips (As provided on Quora)
Answered Dec 25
I finally have the answer here! And it is something of a Christmas miracle, as I have been trying to figure out for countless hours before coming across what I believe answers the whole question.
Specifically, I have been intensely curious about who the followers are that support Trump regardless of what he says, does, tweets, offends, etc.
The answer lies within the psychology between leaders and their followers. There are two specific categories, I believe that the followers can be easily lumped into.
First there are the folks who are proud to have a leader who possesses their own (unpopular and politically incorrect) fundamental beliefs. In this category the white supremacy people can be found it would seem, but also dozens of others who are also narcissistic (as the Donald is) and have deep needs that cannot ever be adequately filled. However, because they are pre-occupied with a value system that is concerned primarily with just themselves—they are not accustomed to seeing anyone previously in public office that speaks to them in the same way that DJT does. He shares their view of the world and promotes putting one’s self before the needs of anyone else. For these guys, Donald Trump is the key to their lock. He fits perfectly.
Second, there are folks who only feel worthwhile so long as they can attach themselves to someone else who they believe is prestigious, powerful, beautiful or extremely intellectual. This group of people are (like narcissistic types) characterized as deeply wounded people. But this second type only feels whole when attached to someone else they think is their “ideal” leader. They seek a heroic “rescuer” who they believe can drop into their lives and improve everything they have previously found to be quite stressful.
Both groups seem to have a very similar value system. They both seem to forget that no one in the WH will ever be able to solve their problems on a granular level. Regardless of what he/she says.
As the President of the United States, they are in a position that has evolved to be consistent with supporting a population of ~330,000,000—they are simply in a job that cannot possibly address issues that can be felt on an individual or even semi-individual level.
But specifically, Trump as a leader feeds on the adoration of others. So, the love that he feels for his “followers” may be genuine to the degree that he does, in fact, “need” them. He continued having rallies even after the 2016 election was over because he truly needs to hear a crowd reinforcing his ideas, words, feelings about anything. It has been said that he (like other “charismatic” leaders before him) has a hypnotic effect on his followers attending those rallies… maybe because of the deep needs of all being met on such a primal level.
These kinds of “leaders” all have the following in common:
The followers believe that their leader is somehow superhuman
The followers blindly believe the leaders statements
The followers unconditionally comply with the leader’s directives for action
The followers give the leader their unconditional emotional support
Also consistent with the Donald is that all the leaders of this type rely heavily on the us vs. them premise. The “them” can be the illegal immigrants, the “democrats” or “liberals” or the MSM. The “them” has also been extended to (in less obvious ways perhaps) women, children, the disabled, the veterans (POW’s), people who are not of European descent (white), etc.
To his followers who have made it through reading this answer up to this point: Thank you for reading this to the end. I would ask that you consider the possibility that strength in character can be measured by one’s ability to admit when they’ve been wrong.
I am basing my answer not only on what I believe is consistent with what I have come to learn about his followers here on Quora and similar platforms, but also what I have read in a book titled, “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” written by Bandy Lee, MD., M. Div.
Dr. Lee has extensively researched this leader/follower relationship and its dynamics. The list of cited references for this research is far too long to post here but can be found easily in the book I reference.
So the short story is that yes, his followers will continue to follow him no matter what he says. The Constitution is phoney, the impeachment is fake, the news is wrong and that everyone except for his followers are out to get him. They follow him because he is able to play on their deeply held psychological needs and although they cannot articulate why, he is their omnipotent leader and hero for life. The followers do not and cannot recognize that he is playing them like a fiddle. At least not yet.
