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In reply to the discussion: Trump's election meltdown is 'most dangerous period of this presidency': psychiatrist [View all]wnylib
(21,449 posts)It's your last sentence that concerns me most. He needs the adoration of his followers, not just to boost his ego, although that is part of his need. He also feels a need to know that there are people who have his back and will stand up for him. His belligerence comes from a lifetime of feeling on his own and on the defensive, thanks to the nature of the family he grew up in. He compensates by having totally loyal defenders (Roy Cohn, Michael Cohen, Rudy), and by demanding absolute loyalty from everyone around him. There is a good chance that, when faced with the ultimate threat to his reality - the very public loss of face and the power to enforce his will - he will turn to inciting his followers to act in his defense.
How many will actually do that? They might consider him a martyr for the cause and turn to someone else to lead them in Trump's name. Or they might stay with him after he is out of office, even if they don't take an armed physical stand for him. He did not create them. He just tapped into them.