I saw this question today, “Why do Trump supporters not see what I see?” in Bandy Lee’s Substack newsletter. For years, many people I know and I have asked similar questions
To try and answer this question I want to introduce two people who have studied, given speeches, and written books on violence, aggression, Trump contagion, and malignant normality to this conversation. Let me introduce Dr. Bandy X. Lee and Dr. Robert Jay Lifton. Their writing was important sources for me as I wrote my recent book, The Trump Files. Trump has spread a contagion of hate and violence to which a cult of Maga bobble heads shows complete allegiance. Influenced by the failure American media, print and digital to call out Trump, they have perpetuated what Robert Jay Lifton defines as malignant normality. The press is normalizing Trump’s malignant behavior. His cult further reinforces this normality at his rallies. No wonder Trump supporters don’t see what I see. They can’t
