Why People Love/Hate Trump: He’s the Loud Dad Who Attacks if You Even Roll Your Eyes

Why people either hate or love Trump (with few in between): The one gauge is how you feel about a strong authority/father figure

President Donald Trump disembarked in January 2021. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead).

The one stat explaining modern politics: In 2015, 75 percent of Americans told Gallup, “corruption is widespread in the country’s government.”

Seven years later, Americans are even angrier: A team of medical and public health scientists at the University of California, Davis, recently surveyed 9,000 people, finding that 20 percent agree “political violence is justified in some cases.” Moreover, public trust in all institutions is even lower:

• Just 23 percent express a lot of trust in the presidency (down from 38 percent in 2021).
• Congress is at the very bottom of all U.S. institutions: 7 percent express a firm trust in Congress, compared to 12 percent in 2021.
• The most trusted public institution? Small business is trusted by 68 percent, down slightly from 70 percent in 2021.

A modern parable explaining presidential politics

A political parable: Picture a 1980s family driving on a long journey in a giant…