Among us leftists, there is a certain understanding that you can’t really argue with most GOP voters. They don’t want facts, they don’t care about human rights abuses, and they don’t want to have a civilized discussion.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the modern GOP acts like a cult. I’m far from the only person to say this, too. If you look at what’s going on with the GOP, you’ll understand why so many people feel like there’s a brewing Cult of Trump.
First off, there’s a pathway to radicalization that feels a lot like cult recruitment.
No one wakes up one day and says, “Hey, I need to join a cult.”
I want to emphasize this. No one goes out and decides to join a cult. Cults recruit through a very subtle ramping up of beliefs. Cults start their recruitment by offering up an innocuous package that sounds nice and enjoyable, even beneficial, to potential members.
The GOP used to be able to brand itself as the “party of moral values,” a party that felt for the blue collar, common man. Granted, the policies never really made sense, but it used to come off as a misguided, well-meaning plan back in the day.
In recent years, there has been a lot of propaganda working to sway people to the right. Much like other cults, the GOP kept positioning itself as the party that “got” people who felt aggrieved by the current system. That makes cults very palatable to impressionable people.
Also, like other cults, it gave wayward, loner types a “home” where they felt they mattered. This is why so many incels identify as right-wing. The GOP has several communities that subtly radicalized lonely men, such as the Red Pill and the manosphere.
All of those radicalizing communities serve one purpose: to dangle a perceived benefit to people that makes them want to show up at the “church’s” doors.
Let’s talk about how MAGA really sinks its teeth into its members: the BITE Model.
Once a potential cult member shows up at the church doors, cults sink their teeth into the member by using the BITE Model. The BITE Model, first recognized by Steven Hassan, has four elements: Behavior, Intelligence, Thought and Emotional Control.
I’ll just leave this here to explain it all…
Authoritarians love the BITE Model because it makes everyone into nice little sheep that follow without question, afraid to leave. You can read more about it here, if you want. Here are some examples of how BITE happens in the world of MAGA:
Shaming MAGAts who aren’t in total lockstep with the party’s messaging.
Gaslighting voters about how the policy “benefits” you or the actual competence of politicians.
Using fear tactics and smear campaigns like Q-Anon and Red Pill content to make voters afraid of leftists, minorities, and anyone else who doesn’t fit the MAGA mold.
Encouraging MAGAs to pay money for Trump merch, Trump coins, and GOP fundraising—even when families struggle with money.
Shaming MAGAs into behaving the same way, down to what they wear.
The use of “alternative facts.”
Rewarding MAGAs who step to the party line with acceptance and praise within the community.
Using stochastic terrorism to encourage violence against leftists and other “outside groups.”
Using chants and dogwhistles to give their own followers a feeling of identity.
Encouraging increasingly extreme behavior to show their loyalty to Trump.
Simply put, BITE Models are a form of brainwashing that helps force people into a very rigid set of beliefs. This is why the GOP can operate in lockstep the way it does, while Democrats keep bickering amongst one another even when the US is falling apart.
Cults are very identity-heavy, much like MAGAts.
Remember when I say that cults often operate by making people see the cult membership as a core part of their identities? Yep, MAGA is great at this. All that merch we see people wearing is part of that whole step.
Cults thrive by making things an “us versus them” thing, complete with symbols. MAGA, in particular, also uses their gear for fundraising. However, there’s another reason why MAGA is as loud as it is with its merch and it deals with the BITE Model.
The merch is there to elicit a negative reaction from outsiders, which encourages MAGAts to stay loyal to the cause. It “teaches” them that they’ll be hated and judged if they try to stray from MAGA.
I’m also not going to fully delve into the deification of Trump.
Yes, we all know about the churches encouraging followers to vote GOP as a way of showing devotion to God. Yes, we also know about how Q-Anon uses religion to sway people to the right.
But can we please talk about the most damning evidence of MAGA being a cult?
Yes, I’m talking about the sheer number of people who see Trump as God.
There’s no denying that there’s a scary number of people who genuinely worship Trump. I’ve seen so many people talk about Trump as “the Anointed One,” the reincarnation of Jesus, and other similar names.
MAGA is no longer just a political movement. It’s a cult—a religious cult.
Here’s why it matters.
Cult deprogramming often starts with a moment that hurts followers, forcing them to question their morals. We’re starting to see that happen, especially now that deep red Iowa flipped blue.
The fact that Iowa flipped is a huge deal because it means the spell the cult has cast on many Americans is starting to break. However, that doesn’t mean the cult won’t re-engage them later on.
If we’re going to move forward as a society, we have to treat ex-MAGAs who actually atone for their vote like cult members going through deconstruction. This means…
Keep asking them questions and providing them with reliable, science-backed sources.
Encourage them to talk about the hurt the cult did to them, offering to listen.
Ask them questions to help them rethink their positions on things.
Try not to judge them on their past behavior. Hard as it may be, this will push the right back into the hands of MAGA.
Give them a place to have a community and grieve, but give them an “out” so they can improve their lives.
I’m not saying it’ll work for everyone. I’m not saying that it will even be deserved by everyone. But, right now, we have to remember that de-Nazification and deconstruction are both long processes.
That’s my $0.02c.
