This week, we're throwing it back to our February 2021 chat with John Dean about his eye-opening book Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers. This was the first book to dig into the psychology of Trump’s base, tackling questions like: Why do his words still hit home for so many, even when his actions often go against their own economic, health, and religious interests? Why do his followers buy into his lies, despite mountains of evidence proving otherwise? And how do they keep faith in a guy whose words and actions often clash with reality?

Fast forward to July 2024, and the Monmouth University Polling Institute—who provided the research on authoritarian tendencies for John’s book—has just dropped a new poll. It looks into how these authoritarian vibes are still hanging around in the American scene, especially among Trump supporters.u can find the links to the Monmouth poll here.

https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/2020/08/25/authoritarian-tendencies-in-the-american-electorate-part-1/

https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/2020/08/25/authoritarianism-among-pro-and-anti-trump-voters-part-2/

https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_US_071124/