Published:
The Psychology of Donald Trump and His Supporters
Joel Weinberger, Ph.D., professor in the Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies
Donald J. Trump seems impervious to bad press and even the most scathing personal attacks from his political opponents. What does it take to ruffle his feathers, and what is fueling his popularity?
U.S. News & World Report turned to psychologists, including Joel Weinberger, Ph.D., professor in Adelphi University’s Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studiesy, to find some answers.
“Calling Trump a misogynist doesn’t nail him,” Dr. Weinberger told U.S. News & World Report. Rather, he pointed out, Senator Elizabeth Warren (whom he called “Pocahontas”) and others have tapped into his insecurities—anything that paints him as small, weak or powerless.
Dr. Weinberger also commented on how Trump is tapping into the psyche of the electorate.
American voters are being characterized as angry but, really, they are disgusted, Dr. Weinberger said, and Trump’s use of the word “disgusting” to criticize people or their actions feeds into that mindset.
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