Written & narrated by Dan P McAdams
Produced by Danny Postel
Edited by Mikey Andreasson
Assistant editor Mindi Roscoe
Sound engineered by Stephen J Lewis
Why does Donald Trump inspire such deep devotion among his most passionate supporters? For nearly a decade, political analysts, historians, and journalists have struggled to explain the intense emotional connection between Trump and his base – one that often defies conventional political analysis.
In this video essay, psychologist Dan McAdams offers a striking theory: To his most ardent followers, Trump is both more and less than a person. He is a figure of extraordinary power, wielding it in a battle between good and evil—his flaws, authoritarianism, and even criminal allegations, become irrelevant in their eyes.
Drawing from his book The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning (2020) and his groundbreaking research on narrative identity, McAdams explores the psychology behind Trump’s enduring appeal. This essay builds on his New Lines article, “ The Mass Psychology of Trumpism”.