There have been a thousand warnings about the former president donald trump. If polls are to be believed, these warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Why this impermeability despite the clear evidence of its dangerous and atrocious defects? This question has perplexed many. As a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who has long worked with the complexities of the mind, let me offer psychological explanations and then suggest remedies that might help permeate this seeming impenetrability.

It offers a feeling of omnipotence. Trump makes it seem like nothing is difficult, which means it’s easy to be all-powerful. He Civil war? Piece of cake. I would have solved it. the same with Ukraine. Never mind that he would have betrayed the nation with the former and endangered the free world with the latter. He is the strong man who can do anything. By extension, you can do it too.

Helps people deny painful realities and threats, instead of trivializing them. He aspires to live in a fantasy world where real existential threats do not exist. Climate change? Just a big scam. The promise and danger of artificial intelligence? Outsource the techno-state to one man, Elon Muskwho will surely manage it for the benefit of the nation and not his own. The real enemies are “out there” (illegal immigrants, cancel culture, trans people) or “inside” (democratspolitical opponents, radical left lunatics).

It resonates with universal experiences of feeling abused and wronged. Trump and his family do not appear to be immune to abuse. Donald J. Trump Jr. told a chilling story to his mother Ivana Trump’s funeral. When he misbehaved in a restaurant as a child, she took him to the bathroom to show him “what Eastern European discipline was really about.” When he finished, he said, “And if you cry, we’ll come back here and do this again.” Families with a history of abuse break the cycle or perpetuate it. Adolf Hitler’s father allegedly whipped him every day. Trump allows his followers to identify with the experience of abuse, and his implicit promise is that, in his hands, it will no longer exist if you are on his side. He will eliminate it and protect his followers.

It appeals to simplistic and half-hearted thinking. Immature thinking that blames others and denies personal responsibility is attractive. It means the rules don’t apply and you can do whatever you want. If you lose an election, insist it was stolen and incite an insurrection.

It gives him pleasure to be a provocateur. Constantly sticking your thumb in the face of those who disagree with you is fun. Retaliation feels good. Reconciliation and acceptance of irritating or irritating issues is hard work. The perpetual provocateur never has to face this.

How might using an understanding of these dynamics diminish Trump’s control? They are, at least in part, a response to deep-seated psychological resentment and longing for protection. While they provide temporary relief and short-term pleasure, they are rooted in illusion. Here is a sample of concrete steps:

Speak with underlying anger. Recognize that changes in society have torpedoed livelihoods and left many struggling while others prosper, with threats abounding that could make things worse. Recognize this: “Of course you’re angry. You feel like you’re being trampled by forces beyond your control.”

Recognize a longing for protection. Trump is the recently Tucker-Carlson-nicknamed-Daddy who will whip those who are bad while protecting those who offer flattery. Attunement to the longing for a strong man who knows everything and guarantees security helps to sharpen the warnings about his abuses and violations. Wait until you pay the price for your “protector” and go to jail on January 6, or see your social safety net threatened, or face the consequences of Project 2025or dying unnecessarily from the pandemic, or being defrauded by Trump University, or having your right to abortion taken away, to name just a few actual or potential consequences of their careless, reckless, and dangerous methods.

Emphasize enlightened self-interest. While the above psychological approaches provide temporary relief and short-term pleasure, they are rooted in illusion and will not solve problems. No one can solve difficulties with empty promises, and the tactics of strongmen ultimately bring down institutions. It takes hard work, tolerance for frustration, and a lot of reflection to achieve solid solutions born of collaboration and compromise.

One could argue that Trump told a big truth to those affected by globalization, while telling a big lie about the solutions being easy. Those who worship him must be helped to see that their anger and desire for protection blind them to reality. He does little for them except make them feel good while posing major threats. It is dangerous to worship false gods.

Dr. Jacobson is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine; Training and Supervision Analyst, Emory University Psychoanalytic Institute; and a member of the board of directors of the American Board of Psychoanalysis. He is in private practice in Atlanta, GA.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.