Trump’s Strategy of Division and Control Won't Work Beyond The MAGA Base
I’m not talking about MAGAts here, just normal people. Americans are clearly exhausted from almost a decade of Trump’s ugly divisive politics— from his pandemic policies to his immigration agenda— and want a return to some kind of imaged normalcy where the country wasn’t as polarized as it is now. A premium is being put on the idea of unity (stability, respectful political discourse and effective governance, all things the Republican Party appears to have abandoned). Trump’s team even had been convinced to go in that direction— for a few hours— after he got hit in the ear by a piece of shattered plexiglas in Pennsylvania a few weeks ago. It didn’t last the length of a speech though. It’s not who he is. It’s not the foundation his MAGA movement is built on. Like any fascist cult leader, Trump’s politics are grounded in divisiveness and the only unity comes when everyone adopts his version of reality and falls behind him, no questions asked.
It’s important for normal voters to not lose track of the fact that at the core of Trump's political strategy lies a deliberate cultivation of division and an “us vs. them” mentality, which has been central to his appeal. By identifying scapegoats—immigrants, minorities, the media, and political opponents—Trump creates a narrative that frames his supporters as the true patriots under siege by hostile forces. This approach mirrors tactics used by historical leaders such as Mussolini and, closer to home, Joe McCarthy, who similarly harnessed fear and division to consolidate their power and suppress dissent. Like them, Trump consistently employs inflammatory rhetoric to galvanize the moron MAGA base, stoking animosity and distrust towards perceived enemies. This strategy not only fortifies his position by rallying a fervent support base but also undermines social cohesion and democratic discourse, creating a polarized environment where compromise becomes increasingly elusive, as we saw when the Senate tried passing the bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year.
Trump's resemblance to fascist cult leaders is powerfully underscored by his demands for absolute loyalty and his punishment of dissent. Fascist leaders always foster a cult of personality, portraying themselves as infallible saviors who must be followed unconditionally. Trump fits this mold with his relentless self-aggrandizement, insistence on loyalty, and vilification of anyone who challenges him. Instances such as his attacks on Republican figures like John McCain and Mitt Romney, as well as his firing of officials who did not align with his views, exemplify this behavior. The psychological dynamics of such cult-like followings involve intense pressure to conform, leading to the marginalization of dissenters and the creation of an echo chamber that reinforces the leader's narrative. The obvious dangers of this leadership style are profound, eroding all democratic norms, fostering authoritarianism, and stifling diverse perspectives. MAGAts embrace this threat to the foundations of a democratic society. November will tell whether the 46.8% of Americans who voted for him in 2020 has grown or shrunk.
In Georgia, which he lost by 11,779 votes, the percentage was higher— 49.24%. He and Kamala are contesting it with great vigor already. Her rally at Georgia State University turned out more people and with noticeably more enthusiasm than his rally in the same venue a few days later. Worse yet— for him— he was unable to control himself and stay on message. He used up much of his— and the audience’s— energy attacking Georgia’s popular Republican governor Brian Kemp, a huge mistake for him, a godsend for Kamala. If he can’t even embrace unity in his own party, how is he going to be a unifier nationally?
In 2022, Kemp beat a popular, well-funded Democrat, Stacey Abrams, 2,111,572 (53.4%) to 1,813,673 (45.9%), outperforming Trump by over 4 points. Kemp out-performed Trump in the 10 most populous counties in the state, from safe blue ones like Fulton and DeKalb to essential red ones like Cherokee, Forsyth and Hall. Even in rural MAGA shitholes like Chattahoochee, Echols, Glascock, Haralson, Floyd, Pickens, Brantley and Jeff Davis, Kemp out-performed Trump
Adam Wren and Meredith McGraw reported that “Just before rallying supporters in Atlanta on Saturday, Trump unleashed a tirade on the state’s popular Republican governor, Brian Kemp, whose vaunted ground game operation Trump may need in November, ripping into him on Truth Social for ‘fighting Unity and the Republican Party.’ And when Trump took the stage, he went at him even harder. ‘He’s a bad guy, he’s a disloyal guy and he’s a very average governor,’ Trump told supporters, eliciting boos toward Kemp from the crowd… [I]t instantly unsettled Georgia Republicans, who warned Trump’s comments threaten his already shaky prospects in the state.
“I’m sitting here scratching my head,” Bobby Saparow, a Republican operative and Brian Kemp’s former campaign manager, told Politico. “Attacking the popular governor of a pivotal swing state makes zero sense. If we want to actually unite, ask for the support of the guy who beat your endorsed primary opponent by 52 points and handily defeated Stacey Abrams.”
Or, as Erick Erickson, the Georgia Republican and radio host, told Politico: “Over 30,000 people refused to vote for [Trump] in Georgia in 2020 and he lost by about 12,000 votes. All he’s doing is reminding everyone why they don’t like him. And he has no Georgia ground game and will have to rely on Kemp. It’s going to hurt him.”
Many Republicans inside and outside of Georgia still nurse raw feelings about how Trump’s fixation on the 2020 election in the state contributed to a major setback for the party in the 2021 Senate runoffs. Democrats won two Senate seats in Georgia that January, when Trump’s false claims about a stolen election were widely credited with dampening Republican turnout.
And following the rally, some Republicans suggested they wished Trump would stop dredging up the past.
“During the Atlanta rally, President Trump criticized Governor Brian Kemp and revisited the 2020 election results,” said Eric Tanenblatt, the longtime Republican strategist, fundraiser and former chief of staff to Gov. Sonny Perdue who most recently chaired Nikki Haley’s Georgia campaign. “With Georgia being a pivotal state, it’s crucial for the Republican Party to look ahead and avoid dwelling on past elections. To win in the upcoming election, Republicans need to present a united front and prioritize future-focused policies.”
…“I think the more important point is that you’re trying to unify your party and you personally attack the most popular politician in the state who has said he’s supporting you,” said a GOP operative in Georgia, granted anonymity to speak freely. “It’s batshit crazy.”
"division and control" doesn't have to work on everyone just yet. It only has to work on the nazis.
Once he is fuhrer, he can and will just mandate that everyone do as he says and like it.
You know... just like hitler and pretty much all other dictators in humankind's awful history. But since hitler is the model...
I mean, the 60% of germans who did not vote for hitler will be a perfect parallel to the 67% who will not vote for trump. Democracies where the majority succumb to the minority just prove that humans are usually dumber than shit. The smaller the minority that ends up as dictator... dumber than the rest.
IT is batshit crazy... that kemp still says he supports trump.
but that's america. that's you all.
The only two parties don't campaign on issues. They only campaign against each other. Another election that will be decided on which side detests the other more.
Except for their hatreds, the difference between the parties isn't very much. On policy, both faithfully serve the same money... and genocide of course.