Why Do Some Trump Supporters Have a Strong Authoritarian Mindset?
Why have some people stomped on the values they once proudly held?
Authoritarian: favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom.
President Donald J. Trump does have an authoritarian style. So it stands to reason that he would attract a certain percentage of the American population who appear to want an authoritarian leader. This is a surprise only because before the era of Trump one could have said these same people were strong constitutionalists. They seemed to have actually studied the document — at least during President Obama’s two terms.
That was when they were patriots.
Remember the slogan “Don’t Tread on Me?” It was often repeated by the patriotic Tea Party. They wanted freedom, they said. In 2020, this president can tread on them anytime. (Hey! Where did the Tea Party go?)
But those values, along with the reduction of the debt (think of the children!), have gone out the window. The debt during President Trump’s term increased by 3 trillion according to Newsweek (1/23/20) and that was before the COVID19 pandemic. This was such a strong priority to Republicans.
