Should We Stop Talking to MAGA Supporters?
A Honest Conversation
Right now is a raw period. Raw in the sense of emotions.
When people are overloaded with emotions they tend to act in less-than-savvy ways, do less-than-savvy things, and hold on to questionable assumptions.
Tribalism doesn’t just apply to MAGA, it applies to liberals and leftists as well.
I’m not going to make the argument that ‘tribalism’ is bad because it’s human. We all have social groups we identify with and conform our behaviors one way or another to these groups.
No matter how often we claim we are individuals we will always be social animals.
That being said, MAGA followers are not only in a tribe, they’re in a cult.
The Cult of Trump
There is an infamous book titled The Cult of Trump by Steven Hassan which details how the MAGA movement is a cult.
Hassan plays around with a few definitions of our conception of the word “cult” but he relies on characteristics shared by cults.
“small or narrow circle of persons united by devotion or allegiance to some artistic or intellectual program, tendency, or figure.”
- The Cult of Trump by Steven Hassan
Trump supporters are devoted to a figure, Trump, but they represent a narrow section of America.
The cult is maintained by numerous techniques as outlined by the psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton in his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism.
There are 8 brainwashing techniques:
Milieu Control- The leader controls the information (Trump calls any information counter to his own “fake”)
Mystical Manipulation- experiences are contrived to appear divine or mystical (look at Trump’s embrace of the Christian right).
Demand for Purity- placing the world in black or white terms. ( Think of Trump’s enemy within narrative).
Confession- personal boundaries are destroyed, and all information needs to be available between members, if not it’s a betrayal. (Trump loves to remember those who wronged him and attack those who disagree with him)
Sacred Science- Group ideology is seen as unequivocally true. (think of Trump always denying inconvenient facts and scientific theories that don’t fit his worldview)
Loading the Language- Language is weaponized to feed into black-and-white thinking and thought-terminating cliches. (Trump’s “Build the Wall”, “Fake News”, and “Enemy Within” rhetoric)
Doctrine Over Person- group ideology is above a persons experiences or values. (People who disagree with Trump are readily mocked and harassed by him and his followers)
Dispensing of Existence- Only those who belong to the group have the right to exist. All ex-members and critics or dissidents do not. (How many times is violence advocated against the Left by Trump and his allys)
Cults terminate thought, destroy any sense of individuality, and want to control the narrative. The right uses memes, thought-terminating cliches, and simple arguments to influence their followers.
Trump leverages this with his charismatic personality and populist rhetoric.
Trump feeds into peoples fears and uncertainties especially in a post-pandemic world where many people are still struggling to make ends meet. In times of economic and social strife people often fall for authoritarian ideologies. This is the perfect storm to build a cult following of dedicated loyal MAGA followers.
If liberals or leftists can agree that the followers of Trump are in a cult, then we need to understand the steps for getting someone out of a cult.
Stepping Out of the Cult
I am not an expert on cults.
However, experts in cults like Hassan have took notice of how Trump’s MAGA following is cult-like or very much a cult.
How do we help someone break away from cults?
The research is spotty but some general themes come up…
Family and friends keeping contact with those members in a cult without harsh criticism can help them break from the groups control.
Harsh criticisms can backfire as it can further entrench someone into their cults beliefs.
This means we need to take on a slower approach with MAGA supporters. We should not condone what MAGA supports believe and we should gently question them every step of the way.
Obiviously, there are exceptions. I am not asking you to make friends with racist or sexist Trump supporters, but you should still be in contact with your Trump supporting family member or friend.
Breaking Bread with the Enemy
Cult logic relies on shaky premises which lead to questionable conclusions. Being in a cult, like fascism, relies on us vs them thinking or tribalistic thinking.
Tribalistic thinking makes us want to cut people who don’t follow our beliefs off and this works to further entrench us into our belief system.
Tribalistic thinking, when leveraged in terrible ways, can make us commit atrocities against groups we view as “them” outside of us.
But a word of caution…
I am not telling you to make “friends” with MAGA followers, I am not telling you to exposure yourself to abusive interactions, and I am not telling you tolerate hate.
I am telling you that if you have the opportunity to have a respectful relationship with a MAGA supporter you should try to keep that relationship going.
This does NOT mean you are guaranteed to change someones mind or break them free from the cult.
This merely means that we have to make space for people to explore their reasons and ideas for doing things. Similar to a mental health professional we cannot impose our will or values on others who do not want to share in those things.
No, we are not therapist. We are people who help, believe in change, and are willing to guide others to do better.
We need to be the example, we need to show that we are above the name abuse and hate. We do this by being there and aiding the people who need us most. Maybe some of those people are MAGA supporters, don’t close off that possibility.