I came across the very cogent expression of why MAGA is Trump’s cult posted below, and wanted to take just a moment to relate it to one recent real-world development. I’ve read many cult experts make the same argument, but she does a great job of expressing it in simple terms. She’s remarkably serene in her discussion. I could imagine someone being a great deal more emotional here.
Then there’s this video, posted by the White House social media account:
Yes, that’s right, they’re hocking “Daddy’s Home” t-shirts, playing on the very bizarre emergence of this narrative among Trump’s MAGA followers — including grown men. It’s not new, but it’s become a real thing for MAGA following NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte calling Trump “daddy” in response to Trump’s insane comparison of the Israeli-Iranian conflict to two kids fighting (something he also did with Ukraine and Russia).
For giggles, I asked Grok about the potential sociological pathology behind the “Trump Daddy” phenomenon, and it provided this summary:
The "daddy" assertion can be sociologically pathologized as an authoritarian dependency syndrome, tribal regression, group deindividuation, and narcissistic idealization, reflecting a movement seeking stability through a singular, protective figure amid perceived societal decay. This framing highlights a pathological shift from individual agency to collective submission, driven by cultural and political anxieties.
Not wanting to rely solely on Grok, I asked ChatGPT:
In sociological pathology terms, calling Trump “daddy” reflects a regressive political identity marked by authoritarian dependence, patriarchal idealization, and emotional projection. It functions as a symbolic act of surrender to charismatic authority in response to cultural dislocation, perceived powerlessness, and social fragmentation.
Gemini:
So, when we hear "Trump is daddy," we're not just hearing a casual term of endearment. Sociologically, it can be seen as a symptom of a yearning for paternalistic leadership in a democratic context, fueled by authoritarian personality traits that lead to authoritarian submission, amplified by a cult of personality that elevates the leader to an almost mythical status, and solidified by collective narcissism that binds the followers to the leader and to each other in a defensive, often hostile, ingroup. It's a complex interplay of psychological needs and sociological dynamics that, when taken to extremes, can be pathological for a healthy, functioning democracy that relies on critical engagement, accountability, and a clear distinction between leaders and citizens.
Claude:
This language pattern represents a form of political infantilization where complex civic relationships are reduced to familial dependency dynamics, potentially undermining democratic norms that emphasize citizen autonomy and rational deliberation.
Deepseek:
In summary, the MAGA assertion that Trump is their “daddy” can be understood as a complex interplay of charismatic authority, identity formation, and group dynamics, with potential pathological undertones of dependency and authoritarianism. This phenomenon highlights the emotional and psychological dimensions of political allegiance in contemporary society.
I know, those are all chatbots with all the weaknesses inherent in AI’s ability to reason and draw conclusions. I wouldn’t rely on these summaries for scholarly work.
But you have to admit, there’s something there. And it sounds a lot like a cult mentality. It can’t possibly be healthy. It’s certainly not funny.
And in addition to the nightmare work that will have to be done to undo Trump’s political impact — if that’s even possible at this point — there’s the fact that we suffer from a national cult with a malignant narcissist authoritarian who occupies the Presidency.