What is Trump's appeal, exactly? It's a question pondered by many of us on the left who can't comprehend how a racist, bloviating charlatan and malignant narcissist is veritably adored by millions of Americans. Trump won over 10 million more votes this year than he did in 2016.[1] Like watching a friend who stays with an abusive partner, we are left wondering incredulously, "What do they see in him?"
What you hear most often from Trump supporters tired of political theater is that he "says what he thinks," even when it's impolitic to do so. I sense a bit of sophistry here, however; what they mean to say, I suspect, is that he "says what we think" but dare not say ourselves. Trump defies "cancel culture" and gives voice to his supporters' deepest anxieties and grievances at a time of dramatic cultural and economic change.
(This is notably true of white voters' racial grievances, as whites inch ever closer to a plurality, not a majority of the country, and previously unobtrusive minority communities find a new, assertive voice of their own. It has been predicted for most of my life that many whites would lash out as they perceived a loss of cultural influence, and Trump, with his wistful slogan of "Make America Great Again," may be the manifestation of this.)
But I think something more is going on here. Sam Harris, this week, characterized Trump as a sort of Christ-like figure who absolves his supporters of their sins.[2] Being the embodiment of all our worst character flaws, he is the last person on Earth to judge us for our shortcomings—this, at a time when the left has become increasingly pious and judgmental. (Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comes to mind.) I think this explanation is partially, but not completely correct.
Some Trump supporters—or, at any rate, Trump sympathizers—tell me that he is, for them, a "mirror" held up to the left, reflecting its own ugliness back at it. This view sees Democrats, for all their sanctimony, as hypocritical; they posture as the party of the working class while shipping jobs overseas; they look the other away on the sexual indiscretions of Harvey Weinstein; they flout Covid restrictions at Black Lives Matter protests while proscribing churchgoers from singing; or, they justify riots and looting[3] while condemning Trump's "lawlessness." It makes sense, but still doesn't explain why so many Trump supporters worship the ground he walks on. It can't be dismissed as mere partisan fervor—something deeply psychological is going on.
Think of a conspiracy theory. Any conspiracy theory. It probably has some element of victimization to it; they're lying to you, or they're taking advantage of you. This is a persecutory delusion, also known as a persecution complex. It is understandable to blame forces beyond our control when something bad happens to us, especially if it's our fault. Deflecting blame onto others absolves us of responsibility for our own failures. People can cling fervently to comforting delusions.
With Trump, nothing is ever your fault. Someone else is to blame for every problem, whether it be "Crooked Hillary," illegal immigrants, "the radical left," etc. Especially if you're a white, non-college educated American, as most Trump supporters are; you were raised to expect more out of life, and it must be someone else's fault that life didn't work out that way. Forces beyond your control conspired against you—this, I suspect, is why so many Trump supporters are also prone to conspiracy theories.
To these people, Trump is a kindred spirit. He himself has a persecution complex. His ego can't handle anything being his own fault. He tweeted very revealingly that "the only way we're going to lose this election is if the election is rigged,"[4]—a convenient excuse for failure. And although Trump's claims of election fraud are without merit, he does have a credible case that the "powers that be" really are out to get him. He vanquished the establishment in 2016, and the ancien régime has been out for revenge ever since. Trump supporters behold a mediocre man of clearly below-average talent and intellect prevail over the powers that be, and they prevail vicariously through him. He is their god.
It would be unfair to say this describes all Trump supporters, but it's definitely the case that they all have grievances of some variety which Trump appeals to. Some of these grievances are justified (especially in today's gig economy) but it is far more often late-stage capitalism that is truly to blame, not the imaginary enemies that Trump conjures up. Working class solidarity is the answer to Trumpism, and if Democrats don't learn this lesson, Trump will be back—or someone even worse.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3xBUNIkA_c
[3] https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/08/27/906642178/one-authors-argument-in-defense-of-looting
[4] https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/512424-trump-the-only-way-we-are-going-to-lose-this-election-is-if-the