Power, fear and submission

How is it possible that the Republican Party, at the peak of American power and at the new dawn of the country's 250th anniversary, became a cult of personality around a leader they know to be a felon, a liar, and a danger to the constitutional order? Psychologically, this is about a party deciding that its survival, status, and identity are inseparable from one man. Philosophically, it is about how freedom erodes from within when citizens and leaders willingly trade truth, institutions, and future generations for immediate power, protection, and psychic gratification.

How a party becomes a cult

Political psychology research describes an identifiable "hard core" of Trump loyalists who behave more like members of a personality cult than normal partisans; their loyalty is to Trump himself rather than party or policy. The key finding is striking: these ardent loyalists are not simply ignorant or chaotic; they are often high in conscientiousness and self-discipline, which makes them particularly responsive to a leader who demands total loyalty.

Personality-cult members display "unquestioning loyalty to a strong leader… whom they perceive as infallible and truthful," similar to followers of Perón or Mussolini. They accept lawlessness from him in exchange for the feeling that he will crush their enemies and restore order.

The MAGA base has entered a new social contract, not with the Constitution but with Trump himself as sovereign, trading liberty and truth for the security of belonging to his camp. Hannah Arendt, in The Origins of Totalitarianism, observed that "the ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction… no longer exists." They know he lies, but over time, they cease to care that they know.

Many supporters see Trump as an almost mythical figure with extraordinary powers exercised for good and against evil. It also explains why his age and obvious unfitness do not break the spell: mythic figures do not retire; they reign until they fall or are martyred. In their eyes, Trump stands above the law: his very lawlessness is proof of his sovereignty and authenticity.

Indeed, when citizens give up the effort to differentiate truth from lies and right from wrong, they become unable to think or experience and are ready to follow any movement that gives them a sense of belonging. The horror is precisely that the destruction of American democracy is being carried out not only by a "madman" but by ordinary functionaries who know better and choose not to act.

Why do Republicans cling to Trump?

Although many members of the Republican Party have raised concerns about his age, cognitive sharpness, and capacity to lead until the end of his term, let alone beyond 2028, they continue to support him for reasons that extend beyond personal devotion. Some prioritize his positions on immigration, economic nationalism, judicial appointments, deregulation, or what they perceive as a challenge to entrenched political elites. Others view him as a vehicle for advancing conservative policy goals.

These motivations should not be dismissed or caricatured. However, the central concern is that for a significant segment of the party, loyalty to Trump has increasingly eclipsed loyalty to constitutional principles, democratic institutions, and objective truth. It is this transformation, from political support to personal allegiance, that raises profound concerns about the future of American democracy. Psychologically and strategically, several forces are at work.

Short termism and addiction to power: In a hyper-polarized environment, many Republicans calculate only the next primary, the next 24 hour news cycle. They fear a Trump-backed challenger more than they fear long-term democratic collapse.

Sunk-cost fallacy: Having defended him through scandals, impeachments, a coup attempt, and multiple criminal convictions, reversing now would be to admit shattering error. Human beings will often double down on a toxic investment rather than face the shame of acknowledging they were wrong.

Mythic time vs. chronological time: For the cult, Trump is not a mortal politician in his eighties; he is a mythic figure. He lacks understanding of himself. He has no depth, no past, and does not think of the future. MAGA mirrors this: it lives in an eternal present of grievance, never planning seriously for a post Trump world.