How the Trump cult will end 

"When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross" -Sinclair Lewis

I spent 19yrs in a religious cult that was 100% a cult of personality. I won't go into detail here, but the level of control they had over us was astonishing, while we considered ourselves to be the most enlightened and free-thinking people on the planet. There came a time when the leader fell from grace in a big way, and it coincided with the internet becoming a new way to easily share documents and chat with others from around the world. Those of us who had our beliefs shaken started gathering online and talking. I can't begin to tell you how much it meant to me to realize that I was not the only one questioning things! I quickly realized I had subjugated my entire life to a group of hypocrites who were only interested in what we were all willing to give them. So, I left. Fast forward 20-some years and your question about what happens to a cult group when the leader falls from grace? My answer... the remaining followers will slowly but surely break into factions. And those factions will break into more factions. Factions like the hard core "the original leader did nothing wrong and we will support him to our dying breath" clan. The "the original leader was a great man but he made some mistakes but that's okay because all humans make mistakes and we still love him" club. The "original leader had great ideas and it's okay to let a new leader take the lead now" clique. And the ever popular "I always had my doubts about original leader but no one would listen to me, so now that I am proven right about him, you should follow me now" guy (cuz, never mind that this same guy fully supported original leader for a decade or more, right?) If these factions sound familiar it's because you have been seeing it play out within the ranks of the GOP for months now. And each of these factions can pose a danger if they get their hands on power, because the ideas at the core of it all are fascist. In the case of my old cult, none of the factions ever regained the size of the original. Let's hope the same holds true for the cult of Trump.

“No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot”. Mark Twain

I saw a bumper sticker on a truck this morning and almost peed my pants. It said " It only takes one sharpshooter to protect Democracy"

Trump has the best indictments. No-one knows more about being indicted than Donald Trump.

It will never end as long as there are people that treat the cult as if it is just normal politics as usual

From 2016 to 2020, I lost 😢 friends I knew for decades. I had to separate myself from these fools who were following him now. I will NOT surround myself with stupid people. Not happening.

THIS IS WHAT I KNOW: It is far easier to fool one than to CONVINCE one that he’s been fooled. It will take a few decades for these people to wise up or pass on.

The day after trump was elected, I told my cousin (who is a Constitutional lawyer) trump would be the worst thing that happened to the US in a very long time and my cousin vehemently disagreed with me. He still does. I have lost hope in many people of this country. Their ignorance and, for some, their greed is disheartening.

The only difference between Trump and Jones is that Trump would charge for the Kool-Aid.

It will never end, it will just rebrand and refocus.

If he dies they'll either say that he resurrected or that it was a "fake death" and he's gone under cover

I believe that it is important that he is utterly humiliated in the next election. The system must be seen to work.

When Trump is found guilty in a court of law will be a great day for America.

What infuriates me is all the WWII veterans who died in the war to end fascism in Europe and Japan. Will they have died in vain if Trump and his minions prevail?

The weird things is nobody joins a cult, they just don't know they can leave. Even when they leave it they keep alienating people through behaviors they learned in the cult. It's like they have been overtaken by this new personality that I got when they joined the cult. It's scary.

Some of us don't have 20 years, we need to end this NOW.

If you look back in history this doesn't end well. Something Trump supporters just don't seem to understand

Until the politicians start paying attention to Americans, it will never end.

It’ll end when he milks them for all their money (donations, merch, NFTs,etc), then he’s suddenly not interested in politics anymore

The "I'm a Reagan Republican" thing has lasted over 40 years, although it has been dwindling since Trump came around. I'd expect "MAGA" to be a problem for at least the same 40 year span.

All of a sudden….no one will ever admit even voting for him.

By not ending quietly, do you mean like a civil war? That's damn scary. I was hoping Trump and all his flying monkeys would be ruined in court and fall out with each other (like Giuliani has) and the movement would fade away for lack of a charismatic leader. Then, maybe, the real Republican Party could stage a comeback, or a brand new party could be founded with a real platform and not just "hate". Maybe.

That shows us just how delusional the Trump cult is becoming with each passing day. It's more imperative to re-elect Biden to another term in 2024.

No, it will long outlive Trump. This is the Republican party now and they'll treat Trump as some great figure like they did with Reagan before Trump.

From Moral Majority to Tea Party, the names change but the players don't. The script changes but the hate doesn't.

It will end badly...

Our country is fighting against a large group of people that have been mesmerized by a charismatic narcissist. Much like having a loved one stuck in the trappings of a cult, it is difficult to get them to take off their blinders. The sane folks need to forget about politics and fight against chaos and tyranny. Read "Cults on Trial", by Dr. Lance Moore. We can't let the misguided zealots win!

I hope Trump ends up in prison. It's a long shot, but I'd be happy to see the 14th Amendment, Section 3, applied too him. He's only running for president again to avoid accountability and jailtime.

If trump is not jailed future presidents will do the same knowing there won't be any reprecussions

One funeral at a time.

A lot of people didn't worry about Twimp because he was such a fool, but that someone smarter will come up from behind. Well he stuck in there, didn't give up and now we are confronting this fascist fool. Very scary.

Remembering Jonestown is very sad, you’re right it was a murder suicide. Those poor people who at that last moment didn’t get to turn away because of those that chose to murder their family and friends because of their sick devotion to one man. Take heed and help those now before it’s to late.

I took a college speech class with a woman, who had been a member of a cult. She refused to leave the cult compound. Her parents and her husband hired an extraction team to get her out. They physically removed her. She was then locked in a hotel room for two weeks where she was deprogrammed by specialists. She initially wanted to go back to the cult compound, but after two weeks of deprogramming, she came out of it. She told the class her story. She said she would have never left the cult, if she had not been extracted. She told the class she was glad she was brought back to reality. The cost to extract her and deprogram her cost thousands of dollars. This was back in the seventies. We can’t deprogram 75 million people. MAGA will be with us for a long time.

I typed this comment over and over with what I thought we needed to do to override Trump. I deleted them all realizing the people we're dealing with. We can't fight stupid cupcakes frosted with ignorance. It just can't be done. My brother-in-law is a Trumpster. There's no using critical thinking with him. Once he hears something and it seems to fit, it becomes the absolute truth. I don't think he's ever had an original thought in his life.

I agree with you David. Sad state of affairs.

Today, a woman told me that Biden is doing a horrible job and God is going to bring Trump back to clean everything up and start over. As a lifelong Dem, I have kept my mouth shut all these years and I am sick of it. I told her he is the Devil and she is out of her mind. She was an employee of a business and other customers heard our conversation and actually backed me up and told her off as well. I was shocked and amazed. It’s no point reasoning with crazy but I have a feeling Dems are done being quiet.

The worship and deification of just one person is dubious enough but when that one person is totally bereft of morals and intellect that’s another thing altogether. It’s completely baffling how anyone can even like such a person let alone feel devotion towards them, especially on such a scale as this. Trump is among the worst of what humanity has to offer. What it says about the human species that such a person could attract any kind of a following is extremely disheartening.

Sure the Koch network and The Heritage Foundation have a long list of candidates.

Trump is a litmus test of the American people and we have failed spectacularly!!!!!

The days of both parties being civilly nonpartisan and working through things together to the betterment of ALL American citizens ended when Newt Gingrich took over as speaker of the US House of Representatives. He helped further the divisiveness introduced by the Reagan administration.

The GOP has allowed itself to be painted into a corner and I am here for it.

The solution to ending the MAGA cult may be quite simple: require Fox News, Newsmax and OAN etc. to tell the truth. It’s sort of worked with Fox News with the big lawsuit. Only trouble is all the people who watch Fox have never heard about the lawsuit. FOX News (and the rest) should be required to disclose that to their viewers.

How ever it goes, it'll most certainly go badly.

The day will come when the cultists will deny they were cultists.

When #45 is found guilty, THAT will help put these a lot of these domestic terrorists back in the shadow's.... but what is truly sad is what we have found out about our friends and family. Seeing members of my own family believing all the non-sense that has been put out there by FOX NOISE, OAN, Newsmax, and a lot of these right-wing podcasts is so alarming.

Can't wait until this country is done with Trump...

I think a comparison can be made to McCarthyism in the 1950's. He was powerful and feared for years. His end came rather rapidly in 1954, a host of items turning against him ending in his censure by a fed up Senate in December of 1954. He never recovered any part of his former stature.....Joe McCarthy would be dead by early 1957 of basically alcoholism.

The crazy uncles no one wanted to invite to family dinner have always been there. What's changed is that now they have organized and feed off each others craziness. In the past such people were avoided or ostracized, now they have power and they aren't going to give it up.

I don't think the cult will end until trump is long gone 6 feet under.💯🇺🇸

When a fiery comet destroys the world

As Jim Jones once says, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Unfortunately, i agree with you David. It is a crime that we have so many uneducated people in this country. Educated minds is the only way I see out of this mess

I really don't think anyone can replace Trump to the people who follow him. And he clearly will never admit defeat of any kind. The only thing that can defeat him is democracy - it's his kryptonite.

It ends with a united Americans ❤

I'm thinking Tucker Carlson. If/when he reappears on the scene, he'll have all the required credentials of a Trump replacement: 1. He's a TV personality. 2. He's already known and trusted by the MAGAs.3. He's been cleansed by 'martyrdom' and resurrected to lead his people once again. 4. He's a white male, with abundant hair. 5. He has unshakable belief in himself. 7. He's an effective manipulator of the not-too-bright.

They have entrapped themselves within the pride of their own ignorance. Yes, we very well may be doomed. 😢😢

I still don't get how Anyone still falls or did fall for his nonsense. I've figured out he was a bad guy way back in his early slumlord days.

Chris Christie. They’ll like his brash, no-nonsense demeanor. He’s the only one who is calling Trump for the conman that he is.

They all are following the "crazy blueprint" I sadly don't ever see it ending.

I’ll chime in! Maybe it’ll go away when the younger generation starts voting after seeing their rights being stripped away. Women’s healthcare, gerrymandering, lgbtq rights, etc. that’s why Vivec wants to raise the age of voters from 18 to 25. They’ll go away when we vote then all out!!!

IT WILL END WHEN WE STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO THEM. WHEN WE STOP REPORTING ON THEM. WHEN WE SHOW THEM HOW UNIMPORTANT THEY REALLY ARE! WE NEED TO STOP FUELING THE FIRE!!

Yep, he was just almost martyred. Things about to get crazy.

Evil never sleeps .

I agree, David. I agree with everything you said, especially the end. Damn shame one man could cause all this!

Doctor McCoy: It's a miracle these people, ever got out of the twentieth century.

In tears

Trumpf should be stopped, then worry about other things later. We have a clear and present danger right now that threatens everything. We need to deal with this looming catastrophe now.

As crazy as trump is, his supporters are even crazier to support him so unconditionally.

Unfortunately I tend to agree. The GOP will not just slide back to a more moderate position. We have allowed or should I say Trump has allowed the crazies to come out from under their rocks.

Thanks!

My take? The same that happened to Brians followers, when he lost his sandal while fleeing the crowd. Monty Pythons Life of Brian, 1979. The absurdity was something we all laughed at back then, and I miss those days. It was quite an accurate depiction though, of what happens to cults around a persona, when that persona goes missing.

I laugh when I see Tim Scott running for President and him thinking MAGA is going to choose him over Trump 😂😂😂

The cult will just latch onto some other fantasy version of a different fascistic clown

End drumpf's civil service protection. I'm sick of paying for it

Let’s ship him some Big Macs…help the process

Its going to take generations to weed out the hate & prejudice that these crazy years have brought us too.

There may be some bloodshed from lone wolves but we need accountability from the Insurrectionists and the restoration can begin. There will be a time when Trump will be just a bad memory in history.

I agree and it's terrifying

It will end in the exact same way that Sarah Palin mania ended. The only difference is whether or not we will still have a country when that day arrives.

Could we elevate our expectations as informed voters? What if we committed to educating people on the way government actually works?

The worst case scenario is that he becomes a cultic figure and even years after his death Republican politicians still call themselves Trumpists and wrap themselves in his legacy. Sort of like in Argentina. Juan Peron died in 1974, but to this day politicians call themselves Peronists and try to claim his legacy.

With a whimper😂

Advanced clinical dementia. Lawsuits like what happened to the Klan (Dominion v. Fox was the beginning)

It won't end unless there is accountability for actions. The rule of law followed and if not people held accountable. If Trump gets elected, it is the end of the US as we know it.

True story with a point: Yesterday, i went to the Yankees game (vs the Brewers). While i was standing in line for food, i had the pleasure of listening to an older couple, who at first seemed very nice; happy to be alive and at the game. All was fine until one of them brought up politics, "What do you think about Trump?" said the older female. "Well I'm not sure, but anyone is better than the damn Democrats," replied the older male. The 2 of them proceeded to go off on how liberals are ruining the country and how the media only tells you what they want to tell you and not the real truth... typical GOP The point of the story is, even in a liberal city like NYC, these people seem hell bent on sacrificing their morals and their sense of reality all in the name of God that i don't think there's any fixing this without thorough revamping of our education system and laws surrounding how our media works... unfortunately, lies are protected as free speech in the USA and that's where the problem really is... How can we move forward as a country if about half the population trusts their hate for others over their ability to care for their fellow American? Why is it always up is the left to reach across the aisle instead of the right just waking up (right because being woke is a bad thing in their minds).

Totally true!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sick people very Sick 😷

The way to get rid of Trump and his legacy is to tackle the problems that society faces that created the Trump cult in the first place such as rampant inequality, entrenched oligarchy, lack of affordable health care and housing etc. In other words an FDR type figure and movement, This would require a huge mobilisation of civil society, revitalising the labor movement and maybe creating a new third party among other things.

Regardless of Trump, we now know that almost half of our fellow citizens won't hesitate to support fascism.

Worst?Good God kindly Forbid that!

There is no hope.

It's terrifying that the cult people can't see him for what he is....

Don’t care if it ends quietly or not. As long as it ends.

Jim Jones was absolutely willing to go out guns blazing

The Trump legacy is like walking into a rest stop bathroom where you have to hold your breath and keep your mouth shut when you go in. We’ve all been there. It lingers, and the only way to get rid of it is a gallon of Lysol.

All cult followers end up in a horrible demise. History has shown it and never changes the mentality of such people. The only issue is that this country has never seen a group like this. I only hope and pray that our democracy survives this, as well as our civilization. Amen.

It will end-not with a bang-but a whimper.

At one time I was in that cult. Not as far as many of them are, but I was a part of it. I never denied climate change, never doubted vaccines, and never really believed elections were rigged, though, so I don’t really have any good advice for getting the people deep in the cave out. I think the rationalism I had despite Trump eventually got me out.

This is a topic I think about a lot. The only way I believe this cult ends is with legislation that punishes media like Fox, Alex Jones, Newsmax, Breitbart, etc. for the falsehoods they propagate, and for glorifying these dangerous individuals. This is a long arduous road in a Democracy but can be done over time with great effort and endless resources.