During the Malignant Loser's campaign to delegitimize President Obama through the birther "movement," his antics and persona reminded many of a "carnival barker," enticing people into the carnival tent. Most didn't realize how true an image that was, as he's cultivated his political life into a carnival midway, replete with junk merchandise and rip-offs. Chauncey Devega at Salon.com explores how the Malignant Loser has used merchandise to give his cult a sense of purpose and belonging as he shears them:
"Donald Trump is basically a political cult leader. His MAGA followers are his flock.
A cult has the following features: It is a collective unhealthy relationship where individuals lose their sense of self to the larger group and where those new relationships supersede the other, presumably, more healthy relationships in a person’s life. In essence, the former person is replaced by the new cult identity. In this model, the cult leader exerts undue and harmful influence over the members. They, in turn, sacrifice their well-being and autonomy in service to the leader's wants and needs. In addition to emotional and psychological abuse, the cult leader usually engages in physical violence (including sexual abuse) and financial exploitation.
Donald Trump has apparently directly engaged in or encouraged all these behaviors to varying degrees. [snip]
For decades, Donald Trump has shown himself to be especially adept and skilled at financially exploiting his followers and public through fraud and other such criminal behavior. In keeping with how he is a type of professional wrestling 'heel' (villain), Trump is a type of confidence man huckster right out of 'carnie' culture.
This 'Trump merchandise industrial complex' has proven to be very lucrative and likely worth many millions of dollars. The Trump merchandise empire is part of a larger fundraising operation where the corrupt ex-president’s followers have given him many tens of millions of dollars. Trump, who claims to be a billionaire, is soliciting his MAGA people to give him money that will be used for his legal defense and fines in his civil case (that at this point now total almost 500 million dollars)." (our emphasis)
Please read Devega's entire article as he explores the cult's captivation with their leader's NFT cards, garish sneakers, and other flotsam, all in service to the Malignant Loser's wallet and their own pathetic sense of belonging.
BONUS: Step right up! Get yer "I'm in the dumbass sucker club" membership card!
Trump is giving black, metal cards featuring his mugshot to people who donate $100 to his campaign pic.twitter.com/CSEJPft6Z7
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) March 15, 2024
(image: AP / Evan Vucci /Getty/videodet / photo Montage by Salon)
