From a Cult Survivor: MAGA is a Cult

Welcome back to another episode of me saying the things we've all been screaming for some time now, and yet a large portion of the population somehow just doesn't see it:

MAGA is a cult.

I'm no "leading expert in my field," nor am I a tenured professor with multiple books published on the matter. I'm just a girl.

Just a girl who spent over ten years brainwashed in Scientology, living as a white immigrant in the Bible Belt married to a bigot while Trump was president, who managed to get out and deprogram her damn self.

MAGA is a cult, and I will die on that hill. Let's take a look.

Can't wait to see the comments I get for this one

Characteristics of a Cult

Quick note: The best summarized list of characteristics of cults that I could find online came from The Cult Institute, you can check out their article here.

A cult is going to have a leader of some kind. Healthy groups develop on their own, but a cult is like a cancer. Its sole objective is to grow, no matter the damage; and it always stems from one point. Groups can be "fanatical" without being a "cult;" keep reading for the characteristics to watch out for.

Warning Signs That Someone is a Cult Leader:

Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability

No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry

No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, all finances handled independently and internally

Unreasonable fear about the outside world; fear mongering, imagined evils, end of days

There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong for leaving, evil

Former members will tell similar stories of abuse and upsets

Followers feel like they will never be "good enough," it is an unattainable goal that sets one up for failure

The leader is always right

The only acceptable "truth" comes from the leader, everything else is false

*And some of my own I would like to add

They instill an "us vs them" mentality into their followers, either spoken or unspoken, which places the followers above non-followers

Creating a new language, or changing the definitions of already-known words

Are you with me so far? Excellent. Now, let's take a look at the signs that a person has been brainwashed by a cult.

Warning Signs That Someone is in a Cult:

Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every other practical consideration

Individual Identity is taken over by the "morals and values" of the group. The individual, the group, the leader, and any "supreme being" as their beliefs dictate, cease to exist as separate entities and their individual lines become blurred; the individual exists solely for the group

When the leader is criticized by someone on the outside, it is perceived by the followers as an outright attack and taken personally

Extreme changes in behavior, language, mannerisms and attire. Individual identity becomes cult identity

Dependency on the leader/group for problem-solving; critical thinking skills lessen as the cult tells them what and how to think

Personal goals, interests, and wellbeing are usurped by the group/leader's beliefs

Increasing isolation from family and friends, unless they are also involved in the group

Anything the leader does is just and right, no matter how harsh or harmful

Distrust of those outside the group, at best. Oftentimes considered to be "evil," especially if they are former-members

*One of my own I would like to add

A "holier than thou" attitude towards anyone outside of the group

This is very easy to look at and compare to people in, say for instance, Scientology. Unfortunately, there is an even more dangerous cult on the rise right now. It's ideologies are creeping outside of America, and poisoning the minds of men (and sadly some women) all over the world. And their leader is currently trying to become the President of the United States.

Let's take a look at how exactly MAGA is a cult.

MAGA is a Cult

If you have more than two brain cells clinking around up there, you can already apply every point above to both Trump and everyone on team MAGA. But just for fun, let's highlight a few of the more salient points:

Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability

How many times has this man been impeached? Arrested? Convicted? Technically, he shouldn't even be allowed to vote. And yet, he is allowed to run for president. Make it make sense.

No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry

"Fake news!" "Hang Pence!" "Storm the capitol!" Those may have even been uttered in the same breath.

No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, all finances handled independently and internally

Really don't need to say more on this one now, do I?

Unreasonable fear about the outside world; fear mongering, imagined evils, end of days

Racism, bigotry, misogyny and transphobia sure have gotten a lot louder in the last decade.

The leader is always right

They will believe that the "Dems" are controlling the weather before they will ever acknowledge that climate change is real, because the all mighty Cheeto could never be wrong.

The only acceptable "truth" comes from the leader, everything else is false

I like to get my news from multiple different sources to make sure I'm getting a more accurate picture of a situation. There is only one news source that they trust.

They instill an "us vs them" mentality into their followers, either spoken or unspoken, which places the followers above non-followers

Much like when I was in Scientology, they have their own dog whistles, phrases and symbols to signal to each other that they're "in the know" and hate all the same groups (everyone not a straight, white man, apparently)

Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every other practical consideration

"If he doesn't win I'm leaving the country!" is the most innocent way I have heard this sentiment voiced as of late

Individual Identity is taken over by the "morals and values" of the group. The individual, the group, the leader, and any "supreme being" as their beliefs dictate, cease to exist as separate entities and their individual lines become blurred; the individual exists solely for the group

Head-to-toe MAGA gear in varying shades of camo and racism, anyone?

When the leader is criticized by someone on the outside, it is perceived by the followers as an outright attack and taken personally

Kindly refer to any comment section online. Literally any of them. A baking video on shortbread cookies. You'll find them in the comments.

Extreme changes in behavior, language, mannerisms and attire. Individual identity becomes cult identity

I repeat: Head-to-toe MAGA gear in varying shades of camo and racism, anyone?

Dependency on the leader/group for problem-solving; critical thinking skills lessen as the cult tells them what and how to think

Conspiracy theories, fear of anyone outside the group, circular reasoning, confirmation bias; critical thinking doesn't live here anymore

Personal goals, interests, and wellbeing are usurped by the group/leader's beliefs

People are going to use all of their freewill and hard-earned rights this November to vote against their own best interests, personal safety and financial security, because a mentally unstable man is telling them that their fear and hatred is justified

Anything the leader does is just and right, no matter how harsh or harmful

If any of his own words or actions were directed against himself or his followers, they would riot. See: January 6th

Distrust of those outside the group, at best. Oftentimes considered to be "evil," especially if they are former-members

You woke sheeple

A "holier than thou" attitude towards anyone outside of the group

Please refer to the comment section of anyone speaking up against the patriarchy in any fashion

This is just a surface level glance. It would almost be laughable, if it wasn't also actively and intentionally destroying the lives of anyone who would dare oppose them.

You man-hating feminists are getting brainwashed by misandry, wouldn't know a real man if you saw one

Why This Matters

If you've been following me on Threads, you've probably noticed me battling it out with the trolls in the comments. I don't do this because I feel "goaded" or "triggered." I don't even do it for the person I'm speaking to. I know most of them are a lost cause now anyway; until something shakes them personally, and that's not my job.

No, I don't do it for any of those reasons.

I do it for all the people who come afterwards.

They're the head on a pike.

And maybe just a ✨little bit✨ because I love it.

Sure, I've heard about the "Russian bots" commenting things trying to radicalize people. But I also know that 99% of the troll comments I get are from a real, hateful person, hiding behind their throw-away account, happily participating in an active war against women, transgender people, non-binary people, people of colour, the 2LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, survivors, and anyone else who would dare to speak up against the current system in favor of the actual truth.

Make no mistake, this goes beyond "angry comments on the internet." Women are facing jailtime for having a miscarriage. They are being allowed to bleed out in a parking lot because the doctor doesn't want to risk jailtime by giving her a life-saving procedure, aka an abortion. The American government is talking about tracking women's periods. And that is only a handful of the current headlines I've been reading.

We are not the ones "starting a gender war."

We are the ones trying to end it.

Together we rise. Fight the power.

That's Enough Internet For Today

Hope is not lost. For the first time, in a very long time, they're scared. They wouldn't be coming for our rights and freedoms like this if they weren't terrified of us.

Even Melania Trump just publicly stated that she supports a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body.

What can you do to help? Talk about it. Add your voice to the fire. And don't stop talking about it. They have gotten away with this for generations because we have all been too terrified to speak up. This is the exact same fight that has been going on for generations. The hard work has been done for us. We all have a voice now.

It's time to use it.

Or at the very least, don't try to silence the voices of those who have finally found the courage to speak up🔥

*For a closer look at how cults work, check out my blog Build Your Own Trap: How Cults Work here