Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers

This book has some informational psychological material about both Trump and his support, or base.
I have wondered for awhile why some of his supporters are so dedicated despite his behavior and flaws.
The authors have researched quite a few studies on the subjects of Social Dominants and Right Wing Authoritarians including how people that rate higher RWA scores look at things a lot more differently than those that rate lower on that scale. Some of it is critical thinking versus memorized beliefs, religion being a very good example.
Validation of beliefs, prejudices, and authoritarianism all play a part in the psychology of Right Wing Authoritarians that score high on the test. They discuss Double Highs- those people that score high on both tests and some of the behaviors in exercises and answers in surveys that they provided over the years.
Some of the information that I found new was the Mercer “lifeline” and some of the players in Trump’s campaign. Both early on and toward the end of the campaign. It’s also very interesting, although not a surprise to read what the most likely motivation for Trump’s campaign was dating back to 2000.
The authors also do an excellent job of exposing the motivations of Trump’s three biggest cohorts/enablers. Pence, Pompeo, and Barr all have their own political aspirations that explain their behavior.
I found this book to be very helpful in explaining why Trump supporters think like they do. 5 stars all day long!

Of the many books I’ve read these past three years, searching for an answer as to why the trump minions are so firmly attached to their leader, this one answered many of my questions. Written in an entertaining and clear style, this book lays out the personalities and characteristics of authoritarians, both the leaders and the followers. And the text is backed up by decades of investigations from the social sciences. A must-read in these confusing and sobering times.

This is a welcome book. For the past 4 years everyone has been asking, “Who are the people who support Trump even as he fails them so miserably?”. “How can evangelical Christians support him? How can conservative businessmen support him?” Finally a book that explains exactly who his followers are, why they are attracted to him, and why they remain so aggressively loyal and resistant to reasoning.

Thank you, Mr. Dean and Mr. Altemeyer. You have done your country a great service.

Finally a book that explains what I have wondered about for so long. What I dont understand is why this book is not getting the publicity it deserves. It should be flying off the shelves to use a pre-COVID-19 expression. It makes it so very clear why any and all of us who worry about the future of our democracy must do all we can to get the vote out. His base will surely be voting. This is not the time to be complacent. This book is very informative, well structured, well written. It is very funny in places and shocking in others. This is a must read.

My spouse has read just about every book on the Trump presidency and Trump’s prior life, more than 50 of them and most are worthwhile . This one is the best by far. If you can read just one book this is it, hands down.

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