We know why Donald Trump won. People were angry because they weren’t getting ahead or falling behind, and Democrats (especially Hillary Clinton) had been pre-demonized for decades by talk radio and Fox News.
But why are people still supporting Mr. Trump after he failed to deliver on his promises (no wall, no beautiful infrastructure) and did things to hurt the people who voted for him? They still get to gloat and agitate their anti-Trump friends and family, and maybe that’s enough. But what else do they have? A lying, immoral president who gave 80 percent of his tax cut to the ultra-rich and wants to cut government help, including affordable healthcare, for the rest of us.
Here’s one explanation for the continuing, and perhaps growing, support for Mr. Trump that has not been discussed: cognitive dissonance, a mental conflict that often results in a psychological defense mechanism whereby people presented with facts opposite to what they strongly believe (Trump is great) will, instead of adjusting their beliefs to match the facts, adjust their perception of the facts to match their beliefs. It’s often done subconsciously to save face.
This has become embedded in our politics and may soon face a big test. If the investigation of Mr. Trump’s involvement with the Russians reveals that he did more to help them than us, and he is not run out of office, is it because he so successfully fooled us or because we so successfully fooled ourselves?
TOM BALCEREK
Forest Hills
