The Danger With Trump and the Pandemic
An expert on mind control and cults on how the president is using calculated influence techniques to fire up his base and demand loyalty from all Americans
By Steven Hassan
President Donald Trump reversed his talking points 180 degrees on the Coronavirus from weeks of saying it is handled, not a big deal and a hoax, to days later declaring a national emergency, invoking the War Powers act, and declaring himself a “wartime president.”
That is a powerful ploy for a controversial politician facing a divided nation and tough re-election campaign. Even so, you might think in the 21st century the political whiplash from that kind of radical change in his public position–exposing the danger of a president who purposefully or accidentally delayed critical, serious action — would have put off even his vaunted “base” of conservatives, disaffected and libertarian supporters. You would be wrong.
As I described in my book, “The Cult of Trump: A leading cult expert explains how the President uses mind control,” Trump has gotten where he is by using a set of calculated influence techniques that can be likened to a cult leader’s playbook. That begins by making the believers feel they are special, part of an inside group in opposition to unenlightened, unbelieving dangerous “outsiders,” and only he can lead them to a better, more prosperous, peaceful, safe future.
The shock was how quickly this time even his “base” turned on his dime, including the extreme religious right who had claimed they could pray the virus away, and Trump supporters who sought to profit off fake cures, like Jim Bakker and Alex Jones, and sympathetic media like much of Fox News. They accepted his new position even as he refused to take any responsibility for his past inaction and mistakes.
When Trump did his about-face and declared himself a wartime leader, he demanded special attention and loyalty from voters, the military, government, and private industry. It signaled an instant about-face from his administration, Republicans in Congress, his 2020 campaign, and right-wing media.
Trump knows how to fan fear and implant phobias about a killer virus just as he did with “criminal” immigrants. As Tony Schwartz (ghostwriter of Trump’s book, The Art of The Deal) explained, Trump learned early on that you either created and exploited fear — or you succumbed to it.”
In the case of the Coronavirus, it is also personal. It has tapped into Trump’s own fears, beginning with being a lifelong germaphobe. He washed his hands multiple times a day even before it became a sensible response to the Coronavirus threat.
Once again Trump has shown he can use fear to not only maintain but, in this case, to possibly increase his control and demand even more absolute loyalty.
I have spent my 44-year career studying cults and mind control methods — dating back to the days Chinese brainwashing programs, and the North Koreans ‘brainwashing” dissidents and captured soldiers and its own population. I became alarmed when I saw Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and recognized a master manipulator up there with the authoritarian leaders, dictators and cult leaders of history.
Few candidates or presidents have stoked fear quite like Trump does. Fear is the way he holds power. It is what he is doing when he frequently cites the same cast of enemies — Democrats, the critical media, Hillary, Soros, etc.–to keep his followers stoked and ready to defend him. Now that the enemy is COVID-19, Trump is able to use the same press freedom he scorns to give misinformation during his televised briefings. Thankfully, Dr. Fauci at least has been there to correct the falsehoods.
Like the leader of other destructive cults, Trump believes his ends justify any means, no matter how harmful. He really believes he is above the law. Now Attorney General Barr is reportedly seeking to suspend Constitutional freedoms of anyone the administration deems as a potential threat. He believes that what he is doing is right and just, so he is justified to lie, steal, cheat, or to use any and all form of undue influence to accomplish his ends.
In any era, that would be dangerous. Already more than 20,000 Americans have died directly attributable to the coronavirus pandemic, so it is already more deadly those the 913 people who died at Jonestown, or the 9/11 attack by Islamist cult extremists. By allowing governors to implement religious exemptions in some 14 states, this will prolong the suffering of people profoundly and lead to more deaths. The anti-vaxxers are a portion of the Trump base and unfortunately, I predict they will refuse to immunize themselves of their children unless there is a clear federal mandate to do so. Science and accurate data collection and analysis are needed to show a clear path to come out of this catastrophe. Not wishful thinking, not stoking up fear, not self-aggrandizement. Concern for democracy. Concern for human beings. Not authoritarian mind control techniques.
— — -
Bio
Noted mind control expert STEVEN HASSAN, the author of The Cult of Trump, is a mental health professional with over 40 years of experience who has been helping people leave destructive cults since 1976 after he was deprogrammed from the Moon cult by his family. He directs the Freedom of Mind Resource Center, a counseling and publishing organization, outside Boston. He teaches 4th-year psychiatry residents about working with those who have suffered from undue influence at Harvard Medical School and is pursuing a doctorate at Fielding University. He is also the author of Combating Cult Mind Control, Releasing the Bonds, and Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs. His website is freedomofmind.com
