From
Cults 101: Checklist of Cult Characteristics
1)The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
Well, can't comment on trump supporters' commitment to him when he's dead, but they do switch their belief system and values instantly to whatever he does at any given minute, so...check.
2)Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
"Punished" is vague, but those who question, doubt or show dissent against trump are instantly labeled as RINO's, deep state or liberals, so...check.
3)Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
There's "MAGA" and "Lock her up," but actually it's a quality of all political rallies to use mantras for the purpose of shutting down individual thought, so unless you want to call all political rallies cults, then I'm going to have to go with...no.
4)The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
Nope. Trump spent a large amount of time doing marketing studies to learn what his base wanted to hear and then echoed it back to them in a purer, undiluted form. I don't think that really qualifies as dictating how members should think.
5)The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members.
This is vague, especially seeing as Trump and his followers don't adhere to a set of goals that are clearly laid out. Those goals can be inferred, to be sure. A platform that is consistently anti-immigrant, consistently hostile to minorities and demeaning to non-Christians would certainly suggest that the "exalted status" is white Christianity, but that's more of an Ultranationalist or fascist label, which is a political categorization instead of a cult label, so...no.
6) The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
Ooh yeah, you betcha. Major check here.
7) The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).
Trump and his supporters don't respect checks on his power or investigations into him, regardless of how legally legitimate they are, so...check.
8) The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
His supporters have made the conscious decision that Trump's personal, moral, ethical and intellectual failings are irrelevant compared to whether he's able to deliver policy goals, so...check.
9) The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
Trump regularly bullies people he sees as his rivals or critics, so...check.
10) Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.
While this has been the result, it is not a rule to sever ties with one's family and friends in order to be a trump follower, so...no.
11) The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
While trump followers are certainly happy to accept new members, they have not shown themselves to be a "proselytizing" group. A group that's eager to attract new members wouldn't be so energetic about alienating others, so...no.
12) The group is preoccupied with making money.
Trump's status as a billionaire is first, and most defining trait for his followers, so I'm going to say...check.
13) Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
No, I'm not aware of this being a requirement for his supporters.
14) Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.
Nope, not that I'm aware of. People do tend to congregate in political, economic and racial groups all on their own, and don't need a cult for that.
So I count 7 out of 14. Is that enough to qualify as a cult? The world of MAGA certainly has numerous cult-like qualities, but I think you'd need at least a majority of factors to qualify.
the OP is the broad brush. I can't take it seriously.
