President Donald Trump's political supporters have long been described as cult-like, from their willingness to change their ideology based on Trump's whims to their reflexive distrust of established experts. In light of the Republican leader's politically devastating losses in the 2026 midterm elections, these same true believers are now angry at every voter who did not stand by their man, at least according to a recent in-depth study.

"Last week we assembled a focus group of Republicans who voted for President Trump in both 2020 and 2024, and who, except for some local elections, voted straight-ticket Republican in this year’s midterms," wrote polling expert Sarah Longwell in The Bulwark on Sunday.

"In my conversation with these voters, one thing became abundantly clear in their cacophony of cope: They were not blaming Trump," Longwell added. "Instead, they were blaming the GOP candidates on the ticket for being terrible. They were blaming social media for pushing Trump Derangement Syndrome. And they were blaming their fellow Americans, who they insisted were just too brainwashed and emotional to just hold their noses and vote for the terrible candidates that Republicans offered them."

all 70 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 157 points 1 day ago (1 child)
  • [–] 110 points 1 day ago (3 children)

    Contempt and a lack of empathy are definitionally what it means to be conservative.

  • source
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 hours ago

    Also, fear, and money, and power. It's all tied together.

    So, successful business owners, almost always--they're the ones who cry about taxes. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-wealth-reduces-compassion/

    Naturally fearful people are good targets for the propaganda and Fox News. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-in-the-machine/201612/fear-and-anxiety-drive-conservatives-political-attitudes

    The uneducated are easily convinced that other people are responsible for their woes.

    Bigotry, wherever it comes from.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 107 points 1 day ago (1 child)
  • [–] 53 points 1 day ago (3 children)

    Speaking with AlterNet in August, University of Bristol cognitive scientist Dr. Stephan Lewandowksy argued that one can understand supporters of President Donald Trump by understanding their psychology as analogous to that of internet trolls.

    "We know that trolls take pleasure in trolling, which means getting other people upset," Lewandowsky told AlterNet. "And I think that's what we're observing here — this is basically trolling behavior. So would these people score high on the dark triad? I would think yes, but I don't know of any data that's done a personality profile specifically of MAGA voters. We do have it for trolls, though — I have data on that. People have published research on it, and the similarities are just overwhelming. So I'd be very surprised if these were well-adjusted, nice people."

    Absolutely bang on, and anyone that’s spent any amount of time with hardcore Trump supporters knows this.

  • source
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 15 hours ago

    I think the world has heard enough of the idiotic "own the libs" phrase to understand what motivates a great deal of the MAGA members. Bloody cunts that are making it their defining political desire, is what they are.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 7 points 22 hours ago (1 child)

    What I feel this analysis omits, probably to land sympathetically to a reader, is that all people are capable of trolling in some degree and occasionally indulge.

    Similarly, all voters engage in tribalism. Was i glad to see KLB win GA? Yes, because of tribalism, honestly. Dispassionately, I'm personally frustrated by her lack of willingness to legalize Marijuana, but it doesn't feel like the time to raise that - again, due to tribalism.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 45 points 20 hours ago (1 child)

    Elimination of fascists is the rational choice. There's no emotions involved.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 41 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    If anyone is emotional, it's the right wing. Most emotional bunch I've ever seen.

    Naturally, they think only having empathy is "emotional". Naturally, they don't count the emotions of jealousy, bitterness, anger and fear as emotions.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 35 points 20 hours ago (1 child)

    that's cool, i have contempt for MAGA voters.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 34 points 1 day ago* (2 children)

    MAGA voters have had outsized media representation. How many sidewalk interviews have I heard with, "I'm not a racist but"?

    Now that they are a vanishing minority, it's super annoying to hear about them.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 10 points 23 hours ago (1 child)

    They are still among us, unfortunately. The floor is somewhere around 25 - 33% of them...short of systemic change to our education system it's not likely to change, and even then, it would be future generations, not the people living today - barring any kind of advancement where people could vastly upgrade their intelligence.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 2 points 22 hours ago

    barring any kind of advancement where people could vastly upgrade their intelligence.

    Maybe some kind of a helmet with a built-in vibrator and magnets to stimulate bloodflow to the brain?

    I kid, I kid. That would only work if it was combined with headphones playing audiobooks on 101-level ethics, history, and civics, interspersed with practical instructions on transformational psychology and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

    Even then they might just view it as torture and would end up taking the helmets off unless they're locked in place like that, and I don't think the ethics board would certify it unless participation is voluntary...

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 31 points 13 hours ago*

    These are the same people who cheer for pedophiles, grift, and war crimes. Nobody cares what they have contempt for.

  • source
  • [–] 27 points 23 hours ago

    "fuck their feelings" with a healthy serving of "I don't care, do you?"

  • source
  • [–] 27 points 21 hours ago*

    Wah, it's so crazy, it's almost as if whenever you promise "no war" and "Epstein files release", and then you go to war and sit on the Epstein files, you lose.

    Who knew?

  • source
  • [–] 26 points 1 day ago (5 children)

    "Butthurt whiny bitch babies are butthurt." No shit.

  • source
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

    But they will whine and claim that it is everyone else that is "emotional".

    These people are crashing out like Obama got a third term, and it's hilarious. What makes it even funnier is how they talk about "TDS" (lol) and how everyone else is too "emotional".

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 22 hours ago (1 child)

    It's all projection. They have poor empathy and poor critical thinking, so they think everyone is basically like them. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem, except they're also a bunch of toxic submissive types that will always yield to perceived authority.

    They're shit people. Failures to live up to human potential.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 1 point 13 hours ago

    I wonder how many of them were beaten by nuns in catholic school as children.

    What else could cause grown-ass men who care so much about presenting a machismo image to simultaneously be so subby for such a demented old grifter?

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 4 points 22 hours ago (1 child)

    Yeah, I think TDS needs to be redefined to refer to the people who are absorbed in the orange menace's personality cult.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 21 points 1 day ago (22 children)

    Fuck these MAGA idiots and Sarah Longwell can eat my whole ass.

  • source
  • hideshow 22 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 1 day ago (21 children)

    What’s your problem with Sarah Longwell?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 21 child comments
  • [–] 12 points 1 day ago (6 children)

    She’s a neocon warmonger for one.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 1 day ago (5 children)

    She’s an ex-neocon, and I’m not entirely sure about the warmonger part. Having heard her speak a lot recently, it really doesn’t seem that way to me. She’s definitely spoken out against both the wars Israel and the United States are participating in, the genocide and Gaza, and the war between Ukraine and Russia.

    Of course, she and the rest of the crew at The Bulwark are a bunch of ex-Republican never-Trumpers (which they’re very open about), so I wouldn’t exactly call them a bunch of lefty liberals. And they definitely carry around some of their old bad habits. I can definitely understand why you don’t like her.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 9 points 22 hours ago (4 children)

    It's hard to call them ex-neocons when they like to joke about themselves as neocons taking over the Democratic party. These folks jumped so from the Republican party only when MAGA got too weird for them, but were fine with all the horrible things the Republicans were doing beforehand. Now they are trying to direct the Democratic party when they oughta shut up and sit quietly at the back of the bus. Their ideas are horrendously bad and listening to folks like them is the reason why Dems lost to an orange idiot twice. Their suggestions should be taken with the same consideration as the suggestions of your cat's idea of a reasonable meal time.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] -2 points 22 hours ago* (3 children)

    I really don’t think this is a fair characterization at all. Do you have any specific examples of things they’ve been talking about recently which you can cite to back up these assertions? Because I’ve been listening to the Bulwark a lot lately, and I just don’t hear from them what you’re describing.

    Sure, there’s plenty that I disagree with them on— and I’m definitely not gonna argue about the established facts of their collective past, but, still, I don’t think your characterization of their present is quite fair.

    Look, I’m not trying to have an argument or be confrontational. I simply disagree.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 11 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

    Here is The Bulwark joking about how Kamala Harris is aligned with all their horrendous ideas that lost Dems the election.

    Here is Longwell in particular ranking politicians as The Bulwark crew seems to agree with her generally about how Mamdani would be a bad mayor and that Conservatives would be preferable.

    Here is the Bulwark crew bragging about how Kamala Harris aligns with all their really good ideas and it will totally win her the presidency.

    Bill Kristol was a huge cheerleader for the War in the middle east and has vociferously defended his stance.

    I have seen nothing that would indicate Sarah Longwell is not the same neocon who got her start working for one of the biggest corpo lobbyists. She was pro drunk driving.

    These people are not to be trusted. They are ideologically committed to moving the country in a neoliberal direction, despite all the polling data and midterm results clearly showing the people want to move in a more progressive direction. When they claim to be apolitical and just referencing data and logic, they are fucking lying.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 8 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

    OK. You make a very good argument.

    Perhaps it’s time for me to reassess these people.

    FWIW, I listen to these people as a counterpoint to gain perspective, but perhaps I’ve let my own perspective of them slip a bit. Maybe it’s time to recalibrate.

    I appreciate the dialogue. Thank you.

    Edit: also, fuck Bill Krystol. Those are dirty hands that cannot be washed clean.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 7 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

    She was a Republican operative and worked at a conservative think tank until Trump. She's actively partially responsible for us being where we are.

    She's the one responsible for bringing in Liz Cheney to campaign with Harris.

    She supported Cuomo over Mamdani. She backed Haley Stevens.

    And now she's trying to insert herself and her barely covert right wing bullshit into the future trajectory of the Democratic party. She's got no business being anywhere near the levers of power in the Democratic party. And yet here she is trying to claim Tuesday's victories as her own. Despite being, again, a Republican party operative until very recently.

    She is trying to drag the party right and we cannot let her.

    Listen to her on Wednesday's Weekly Show. Red flag after red flag. She literally says she supports Israel at one point, and implies everyone who disagrees is terminally online and an extremist leftist.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 16 points 1 day ago (11 children)

    Probably the fact that she was part of the coordinated attack on Hasan Piker. She's also not as good at her job as she purports to be.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 11 child comments
  • [–] 8 points 1 day ago* (1 child)

    Hmm… OK, I can understand that criticism. I’m not a really big fan of Hasan Piker, myself, but I do think that some of her criticisms were unfair and even mean-spirited.

    I like The Bulwark because it helps give me a more balanced perspective, but I have to remember all of them are a bunch of ex-Republican never-Trumpers, and it seems they still have some of their old bad habits.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [+] -13 points 22 hours ago (8 children)

    What kinda Hassan cult fuck are you?

    Who tf gives a frog’s fat ass about some influencer on twitch?

    I’ve seen such similar traits of cult like behavior from you weird ass Piker-Cucks.

    Read something. Touch grass and grow tf up.

    Basement dwelling Pi-kuk

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 8 child comments
  • [–] 16 points 22 hours ago (6 children)

    Bruh tell that to the Bulwark, and to Haley Stevens, and Andrew Cuomo, and to the dipshits at CNN who keep bringing him up. Trump mentioned him at his rallies. Netanyahu mentioned him AT THE UN. It's not Piker fans bringing him up all the time. It's the GOP and AIPAC and weirdos like you lol

    You're very clearly trying to project your own piker obsessions and personal shortcomings onto everyone else. Stop that. ✋️

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [+] -14 points 21 hours ago* (5 children)

    Bruh, ur assessment of my angle is just straight wrong. I have no fucks to give or skin in the influencer game whatsoever. I never once even heard his voice until Amy Goodman interviewed him on Democracy Now election night coverage. I've been astounded that he's getting platformed by everyone and thought, hell may as well hear what he has to say. I was left underwhelmed and perplexed why he gets so much coverage and noise.

    Day after some weird ass Pi-kuck, like you, got all high and mighty claiming if not Hassan there would be no bluenami, LOfuckingL

    Now I come here today and you're projecting Pi'kuc-kult weirdness and again, wtf.

    Fuck twitch, weirdo influencers and their low-iq followers and especially fuck all you cultists whether maga or Piker. Read a fucking book. Get out of the basement, grow a garden, walk your fucking dog.

    Most importantly shut-thefuckup

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 2 hours ago

    I’ve been astounded that he’s getting platformed by everyone

    But he's not. He gets smeared by the pundits on the major networks and they won't talk to him about his positions on policy, instead they continue to smear him from a distance. The networks fear him because once he does get in front of their cameras, he's calm, articulate and exposes their manipulative framing of questions.

    He did get invited to Simone Sanders show and she came at him hard and he bested her pretty handily. The political consultant class hate him because he has demonstrated that you don't need big money to win elections and you don't need high priced political consultants who get kickbacks for the ads they buy.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 2 hours ago

    Wow, this is a bit unhinged, don't you think?

    I've been a politics and news junkie since the 80's. Hasan is a generational talent who is not funded by corporate money. Better get used to him being around without losing your shit like this or people will think you're a nut.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 16 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    so we're still going to be profiling every Trump voter within throwing distance of a microphone? 10 years wasn't enough to figure these people out?

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 13 points 1 day ago

    Who cares about MAGA voters?

  • source
  • [–] 12 points 12 hours ago (1 child)

    Maga voters can choke on a big blue cock.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 12 points 1 day ago

    Fuck off MAGA

  • source
  • [–] 12 points 2 hours ago (1 child)

    The 30%. So, either the neighbor to your left, or the neighbor to your right.

    Nextdoor in my neighborhood is full of people crying. This is New Mexico, did they really think we'd vote for an R for Governor this year? They screamed about it for a year, and the state went ahead and quietly voted D. I used to tell them to move back to Texas, but, OOPS! LOL.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 2 points 47 minutes ago

    Reading Nextdoor since the election has been crazy. It was full of stupid conservative stuff before (seeing their thoughts on water usage is about as stupid as you might imagine) , but now it's them crying about the election.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 9 points 23 hours ago

    In other words: Brainwashed idiots.

  • source
  • [–] 7 points 1 day ago

    Right back at ‘em.

  • source
  • [–] 6 points 1 day ago

    Magats being little cunts about something, what’s new

  • source
  • [–] 10 points 1 day ago

    wrote polling expert Sarah Longwell

    Self described polling expert. She's really not that bright. She attacked Hasan Piker based on hearsay alone and still won't back down after being shown she was wrong.

  • source
  • [–] 5 points 20 hours ago
    [–] 4 points 21 hours ago

    And I have contempt for bigoted cockroaches. We need to finish Sherman's work.

  • source
  • [–] 4 points 1 day ago

    They're too busy blindly sucking trumps tiny mushroom dick to blame him. They're in a cult. Doesn't take a journalist to figure that out.

  • source
  • [–] 3 points 23 hours ago

    We have contempt with braindrad racists

  • source
  • [–] 3 points 21 hours ago

    Feeling is mutual.

  • source