I think Orwell suggested in 1984 that the very poor/working class don't fully "feel" or "notice" fascism given the consistent misery of their material conditions. That might seem a little cynical, but I do think there are people for whom Trump's worst actions are very removed from their day-to-day.
However, those of us who are reasonably informed believe everyone should at least notice what Trump is doing and be rightly horrified.
On a moral level, it is concerning that Trump's approval is not dramatically worse than Biden or Bush's.
Thank you Noah. I don’t understand how people can look at fascist policies and support them. What is the mental gymnastics required to be ok with the atrocities taking place? Is it partisanship? I think if Joe Biden had sent ICE into Minneapolis, MAGA would have rioted in the streets.
I know about the news bubble- we all are fed according to our algorithmic diet, leading to rampant confirmation bias, but that doesn’t explain how the actions themselves are perceived. For MAGA, is it as simple as, “if Trump does it, I agree”?
I know I’m guilty too. I’m more likely to hear out a Democrat and consider their reasoning than I am a Republican. But I don’t abdicate all critical thought. Biden was wrong about Gaza, horrifically and tragically wrong. The fact that I appreciate his leadership in other areas doesn’t erase that.
Also, how are Americans more upset at the price of gas than bombing people?
I think I’m still, at this late date, coming to terms with what America really is, beyond all the propaganda I’ve absorbed. Or maybe it’s humanity as a whole that’s the problem.
He is outnumbered by people who hate him for many varied reasons, but those people tend to divide easily amongst themselves. And he has people behind him from whom he demands unquestioned loyalty, and they are more than willing to give him that.
I think liberals can extend *some* grace to Americans who are fundamentally checked out from politics -- even when it has such a significant impact on real people. I confess I'm more forgiving of the single mom working two jobs who doesn't keep up with the news than I am of the people I know (many in the arts community) who *actively* refuse to engage with politics. Sure, they are part of Trump's negative approval but it's not like they know the specifics of what he's done.
I suppose it isn't overly surprising to me, when there have been large sections of the Evangelical world who have spent years telling people that Democrats are quite literally demonic. It's easier to commit mental gymnastics to support an adulterer than it is to say 'oh gosh, maybe I was wrong about the demon thing.'
My mom voted for Trump, twice. The third time she abstained from voting. Her story is a slightly different one. She is a Chinese immigrant (American citizen) who married a white American. She had never voted for anyone until Trump one. She said she thought politicians were "all the same" until Trump caught her eye. He was bright, shiny and anti establishment. She loved his bluster, so much so that she severed several family relationships over her choice. There is something strangely attractive about Trump that goes way beyond normal politics. Incidentally she really like AOC so I think for her it is more a cult of personality thing for her.
Something Noah and I have discussed at length is how many pundits struggle to accept that a significant number of voters are rigidly partisan or even consistently ideological. They assume that the best way to flip a Biden to Trump voter back is to shift right on a key issue (one that's conveniently donor approved). They refuse to accept that AOC could win voters like your mom *without* a Newsom-style calculated shift on an issue.
This is a question that's been plaguing me. I keep hearing about how his poll numbers are tanking, but then I look and think, "that can't be right," that so many people still support him. Thanks for shedding some light on the issue.
I posted this after the murder of Renee Good in Minnesota several months ago. It's a bit of a rant and it's tangential here but I still think it applies. I attempt to explain why so many Americans support authoritarianism in America in 2026. I think it adds a little more perspective to Noah's analysis from another angle that we don't really talk about. How authoritarianism has become so ubiquitous that it's practiced not just by the government but reinforced by society every day in a million insidious ways. Anyway, it's something else to think about in terms of who we are. I guarantee a lot of people reading this have experienced trauma in their home lives yet have managed to hold on to their empathy and maybe even their humanity even in the face of the horrible treatment they've received at the hands of those who seemingly possess little of either.
"Here's the thing though. America's fascism problem *starts at home.* What many people who are trying the justify her murder see in this video is an uppity liberal lesbian *confronting authority* in a way that they are deeply uncomfortable with because they have been socially conditioned from birth that authority (especially the authority of white men) *must not be challenged.*
I can't tell you how many times I have seen badly dysregulated parents harshly disciplining their children in public for being children. For being "disrespectful." For "talking back" or "being lippy." For asking innocent questions that inadvertently challenge the parents' unquestionable authority. Or, worst of all, for being openly defiant.
These are parents who go on social media to claim that kids today are out of control because they don't get their asses whooped. Who say, "I was spanked and I turned out fine,* despite actual science proving how terribly damaging it is for developing nervous systems. Who learned through fear and social conditioning from an early age that obedience is to be given without question to authority - especially to patriarchy. Until the moment they themselves become that authority. As a spouse. As a parent. As a boss. As an LEO, etc. At which point, they begin conditioning others to obey their authority through fear and the worst kind of 'domestic terrorism' (in the most literal sense of the term). They begin abusing their families and anyone else who finds themselves subordinate to the authoritarian's will.
Good's real crime, to most apologists, was her defiance. Her challenge to authority and worse, patriarchy. That is why they are saying she got what she deserved. It's because to many, many minds, she absolutely committed an unthinkable crime.
*America's fascism problem starts at home.*
And yes, this article IS relevant because it describes the actual scourge of American society: poor home lives, which are almost always rooted in exactly the systems I just described to you:"
Have you seen these batshit crazy "news" items? CNN has been carrying water for him in two of these ridiculously suspect polls recently but NBC is a new one. If there's any doubt that every corner of mainstream media is now controlled media, these should erase that definitively.
"After his speech, 62 percent of responents told CNN that Trump’s proposed policies for handling the economy will move the country in the right direction. This is compared to 38 percent who said his proposals will lead the country down the wrong direction."
Isn't something like 31% of the world's population authoritarian by nature?
This is a great explainer on how the support for trump remains constant. I finally watched "Nuremburg" over the weekend and it hit a little hard.
I think Orwell suggested in 1984 that the very poor/working class don't fully "feel" or "notice" fascism given the consistent misery of their material conditions. That might seem a little cynical, but I do think there are people for whom Trump's worst actions are very removed from their day-to-day.
However, those of us who are reasonably informed believe everyone should at least notice what Trump is doing and be rightly horrified.
On a moral level, it is concerning that Trump's approval is not dramatically worse than Biden or Bush's.
I'm stuck living with trump supporting cultists and at this point I think the best explanation is that some people just enjoy being evil sadists.
that’s the “people like fascism” part.
Thank you Noah. I don’t understand how people can look at fascist policies and support them. What is the mental gymnastics required to be ok with the atrocities taking place? Is it partisanship? I think if Joe Biden had sent ICE into Minneapolis, MAGA would have rioted in the streets.
I know about the news bubble- we all are fed according to our algorithmic diet, leading to rampant confirmation bias, but that doesn’t explain how the actions themselves are perceived. For MAGA, is it as simple as, “if Trump does it, I agree”?
I know I’m guilty too. I’m more likely to hear out a Democrat and consider their reasoning than I am a Republican. But I don’t abdicate all critical thought. Biden was wrong about Gaza, horrifically and tragically wrong. The fact that I appreciate his leadership in other areas doesn’t erase that.
Also, how are Americans more upset at the price of gas than bombing people?
I think I’m still, at this late date, coming to terms with what America really is, beyond all the propaganda I’ve absorbed. Or maybe it’s humanity as a whole that’s the problem.
Thank you for helping me think about all of this.
He is outnumbered by people who hate him for many varied reasons, but those people tend to divide easily amongst themselves. And he has people behind him from whom he demands unquestioned loyalty, and they are more than willing to give him that.
So to summarize, 39 percent of the country are fascist POS?
I think 39% of the country doesn't see fascism as a deal breaker.
which...is bleak.
I think liberals can extend *some* grace to Americans who are fundamentally checked out from politics -- even when it has such a significant impact on real people. I confess I'm more forgiving of the single mom working two jobs who doesn't keep up with the news than I am of the people I know (many in the arts community) who *actively* refuse to engage with politics. Sure, they are part of Trump's negative approval but it's not like they know the specifics of what he's done.
Thanks for this great analysis. It makes perfect sense. Also, I just learned about the Wilmington Massacre from you.
I suppose it isn't overly surprising to me, when there have been large sections of the Evangelical world who have spent years telling people that Democrats are quite literally demonic. It's easier to commit mental gymnastics to support an adulterer than it is to say 'oh gosh, maybe I was wrong about the demon thing.'
My mom voted for Trump, twice. The third time she abstained from voting. Her story is a slightly different one. She is a Chinese immigrant (American citizen) who married a white American. She had never voted for anyone until Trump one. She said she thought politicians were "all the same" until Trump caught her eye. He was bright, shiny and anti establishment. She loved his bluster, so much so that she severed several family relationships over her choice. There is something strangely attractive about Trump that goes way beyond normal politics. Incidentally she really like AOC so I think for her it is more a cult of personality thing for her.
Something Noah and I have discussed at length is how many pundits struggle to accept that a significant number of voters are rigidly partisan or even consistently ideological. They assume that the best way to flip a Biden to Trump voter back is to shift right on a key issue (one that's conveniently donor approved). They refuse to accept that AOC could win voters like your mom *without* a Newsom-style calculated shift on an issue.
This is a question that's been plaguing me. I keep hearing about how his poll numbers are tanking, but then I look and think, "that can't be right," that so many people still support him. Thanks for shedding some light on the issue.
I posted this after the murder of Renee Good in Minnesota several months ago. It's a bit of a rant and it's tangential here but I still think it applies. I attempt to explain why so many Americans support authoritarianism in America in 2026. I think it adds a little more perspective to Noah's analysis from another angle that we don't really talk about. How authoritarianism has become so ubiquitous that it's practiced not just by the government but reinforced by society every day in a million insidious ways. Anyway, it's something else to think about in terms of who we are. I guarantee a lot of people reading this have experienced trauma in their home lives yet have managed to hold on to their empathy and maybe even their humanity even in the face of the horrible treatment they've received at the hands of those who seemingly possess little of either.
"Here's the thing though. America's fascism problem *starts at home.* What many people who are trying the justify her murder see in this video is an uppity liberal lesbian *confronting authority* in a way that they are deeply uncomfortable with because they have been socially conditioned from birth that authority (especially the authority of white men) *must not be challenged.*
I can't tell you how many times I have seen badly dysregulated parents harshly disciplining their children in public for being children. For being "disrespectful." For "talking back" or "being lippy." For asking innocent questions that inadvertently challenge the parents' unquestionable authority. Or, worst of all, for being openly defiant.
These are parents who go on social media to claim that kids today are out of control because they don't get their asses whooped. Who say, "I was spanked and I turned out fine,* despite actual science proving how terribly damaging it is for developing nervous systems. Who learned through fear and social conditioning from an early age that obedience is to be given without question to authority - especially to patriarchy. Until the moment they themselves become that authority. As a spouse. As a parent. As a boss. As an LEO, etc. At which point, they begin conditioning others to obey their authority through fear and the worst kind of 'domestic terrorism' (in the most literal sense of the term). They begin abusing their families and anyone else who finds themselves subordinate to the authoritarian's will.
Good's real crime, to most apologists, was her defiance. Her challenge to authority and worse, patriarchy. That is why they are saying she got what she deserved. It's because to many, many minds, she absolutely committed an unthinkable crime.
*America's fascism problem starts at home.*
And yes, this article IS relevant because it describes the actual scourge of American society: poor home lives, which are almost always rooted in exactly the systems I just described to you:"
https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/teen-social-media-use-depression-19542027.php
Have you seen these batshit crazy "news" items? CNN has been carrying water for him in two of these ridiculously suspect polls recently but NBC is a new one. If there's any doubt that every corner of mainstream media is now controlled media, these should erase that definitively.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5775642-trump-2028-presidential-race-poll/
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5754296-just-1-in-3-state-of-the-union-watchers-confident-trump-will-lower-costs-flash-poll/
says:
"After his speech, 62 percent of responents told CNN that Trump’s proposed policies for handling the economy will move the country in the right direction. This is compared to 38 percent who said his proposals will lead the country down the wrong direction."
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/democrats-too-liberal-poll-cnn-b2919693.html
Another CNN poll