Donald Trump truly “loves” his MAGA followers. But Donald Trump’s love is a very special kind of love. It is a love of a de facto cult leader and demagogue for his followers who give him narcissistic fuel, their money, adoration, loyalty, time, energy, and perhaps even lives and freedom.
Trump’s MAGA followers do in fact love him—or the idea of what he represents to them as he gives them permission to be horrible people. But this love is not mutual; Donald Trump, like other fake populist authoritarian leaders, views his MAGA people as useful idiots who are ultimately disposable.
