[There are] a substantial number of young men tapping into a growing informal online network: A dedicated denomination of self-improvement, built on the “teachings” of one Donald J. Trump. From his books, public statements, and general attitude toward the world, they’ve extracted a highly motivating philosophy of positive thinking and the virtues of self-love and brazening things out, as real men do. Their numbers are unknown, but the trend exists in the form of dozens of their posts flourishing online, bouncing across Trump discussion threads and Twitter and the right-wing blogosphere, peppered with buzzwords and moments of epiphany. “Donald J. Trump has already won, and changed my life,” declares one poster. “How Donald inspired me to be a great American once again” proclaims another. And many more: “Trump inspired me to change my life.” “Story of how Donald Trump changed my life around.” “Donald trumps campaign has changed me.” “Trump saved my life!” “Hey Brigadiers, stop wasting your time and learn what this is. Make Yourself Great Again!”
On the one hand, it’s bad form to denigrate whatever may be the proximate cause of a person managing to turn their life around. Anyone able to do that should be commended and supported for taking the positive steps and doing the work necessary to improve their lives and defeat their demons.
On the other hand, I can’t help feeling a pronounced and grievous sense of existential dread when I realize that the reason so many of these folks have taken steps to improve their lives is that they’ve come to see Donald Trump as something akin to a Messiah.
Putting ANYONE on a pedestal, particularly someone with a well-deserved reputation as (and track record for being) a racist, sexist, misogynist, Islamophobic, pathological liar should be at the very least cause for great concern. (Why ANY self-respecting woman- Republican OR Democrat- would support Trump defies rational explanation and understanding.) His campaign has emboldened racists and xenophobes to come out into the light and let their freak flag fly. Trump has numerous white supremacists listed among his delegates to this summer’s Republican National Convention. One of his delegates has been indicted on federal weapons and child pornography charges. This is a candidate whose election could very well mean the end of “constitutional conservatism.” To credit him with something closely resembling messianic powers is beyond frightening and plays into his penchant for self-congratulatory megalomania…and an epic, egomaniacal lack of self-awareness and borderline sociopathic tendencies.
I don’t know about you, but I can help but wonder if this was how Hitler found his Brown Shirts (cue the Godwin’s Law warning in 4…3…2….). In my mind, I’m seeing scenes from Leni Reifenstahl’s Triumph of the Will. Resolute, serious-looking young men in crisply pressed brown shirts, jodhpurs, and Sam Browne belts goose-step earnestly to martial music as they demonstrate their conviction and devotion to a higher power represented by the beaming visage of Adolf Hitler.
That couldn’t happen again…could it?? Nah….
In a phone conversation, Nathan told me that he had been able to turn his life around thanks to Trump’s “high energy” persona, his refusal to give in or be pushed around—and his declared abstinence from alcohol, tobacco or drugs. “I’ve had an ongoing fight to get off drugs, but this is the most successful I’ve ever been,” he said. “I was given the strength and the resolve of spirit to not buy drugs again.” He took a deep breath. “Through the Trump campaign.”
Next, he’ll be claiming The Donald gave him the strength and courage to walk across red-hot coals.
When Nathan posted his message to his Trump discussion thread last month, he was smothered by a wave of positive responses, each a variation on a familiar theme. “I’m also quitting booze for many reasons, Trump being one of them,” commented one user. Wrote another: “It might sound lame, but trying to be more like Donald has led to positive changes in my life.” A commenter described his own years-long drug habit, chiming in, “After reading 2 of Trump’s books I decided it’s time to quit.” And then, about two-thirds down, the prevailing leitmotif appeared:
“I just tell myself ‘it’s time to make myself great again.’”
In gargantuan, all-capital letters: “MYGA!”
I’m all for the idea of making yourself great again. We all have our demons, and many of us need help to subdue them. In some cases, we look for help from whatever quarter assistance may emerge. It may seem odd, but if it works…well, who am I to cast aspersions??
That said, there’s a note of caution begging to be struck here. These “Trump Bros” are pledging fealty to a man who primary loyalty is to 1) his ego and 2) his bank account. Donald Trump has elucidated almost nothing in the way of concrete plans or ideas. His speeches and public appearances are accompanied by language that’s imprecise, overly general, and intended to appeal to the darker angels of his supporters. Violence is a frequent visitor to his rallies. His words and attitudes too closely resemble those of Benito Mussolini…and we all know how well Fascist Italy turned out, right?
“Instead of an AA meeting, what you’re seeing here are good habits being broadcast as popular. It’s cool to make yourself better, to be trying to improve yourself, because of Donald Trump,” Jon Sharpe, a 36-year-old lawyer in Columbus, Ohio, told me. After seeing a tide of inspirational Trump-themed messages, Sharpe formed a Reddit group and called it MYGA….
MYGA posts cover topics as wide-ranging as they are banal: Themes include going to the gym, asking out beautiful women or asking for a raise. In one post titled, “Life Tips I’ve Learned from Watching Trump!!” an Illinois man lists a dozen areas of personal improvement in which he looks to Trump, including “Being a great parent” and “NO DRUGS AND NO ALCOHOL.” In a now-deleted post, a user noted that watching Trump inspired him to get into the “gym 5 times a week from 0,” adding, “no more pot, cigs, cut drinking a lot.” Finding Donald Trump, writes another poster, “inspired me to become the high-energy person I used to be,” adding, “I decided that I want to get back into running 10k races. … Remember guys, you can’t make America great again without feeling great yourself.”
“We take Trump’s energy and just magnify it,” Nathan told me. “We’re constantly feeding on each other’s energy. It’s great. It’s fantastic. It’s positive.”
A common refrain among the MYGA crowd- which is almost exclusively male- is the belief that they can benefit by harnessing and properly channeling the energy required to be an alpha male. They recognize in Trump’s persona a drive, a desire to get things done by overcoming obstacles, defeating resistance, and taking control. Seemingly lost on them are the borderline sociopathic traits- what some might more colloquially refer to as “being an asshole”- and the damage that can be done by a person exhibiting those qualities. What the MYGA crowd sees and what they know is that they have a new zest for life, which, now that they’ve managed to subdue their demons, is full of possibilities. They attribute their turnaround to Donald Trump, which is, to say the least, frightening.
So what happens when someone points out to them that being an alpha male 24/7/365 and trying to imitate the positive qualities they see in Trump leads them to completely ignore the myriad less sanguine aspects of his personality? Donald Trump isn’t a Messiah; his megalomania and lack of self-awareness is not something a rational person with even the barest minimum of self-esteem would choose to emulate. He no more belongs on a pedestal than taking a seat behind the big desk in the White House…and yet here we are with “Trump Bros” practically gushing over Trump’s perceived “heroic” and admirable qualities.
Is it any wonder why I fear for the future of this country?
