Charismatic leadership

Charismatic authority is an affective bond between a leader and their supporters. To sustain this bond, the charismatic leader must constantly 'prove that he himself is the master willed by God'. Supporters need to perceive the leader as being successful in their mission and endowed with extraordinary qualities, which the followers accept without question.

The concept of the charismatic leader crops up frequently in the literature on populist parties. Different approaches and descriptions of charismatic personality traits exist, but many scholars focus on a set of specifically relevant characteristics.

An idealistic sense of a radical mission is the essential feature, coupled with personal authority and extraordinary qualities that set the leader apart from ordinary folk. Those qualities include great confidence, personal presence, rhetorical skills, the ability to present themselves as a member of their followers' community, and Manichean demonisation (targeting of enemies).

Trump as a charismatic leader

Donald Trump has managed to radicalise the Republican party. His charismatic authority created a putative ‘cult’ following of loyal supporters. The unsuccessful assassination attempt on his life in July 2024 allowed Trump to claim his 'God-given' mandate. Supporters' loyalty resulted in Trump becoming a twice-elected president. Some of those supporters, who followed their leader's call to storm the Capitol Building in 2021, ended up convicted felons.

Self-professed 'forgotten men and women' are willing to subordinate themselves to an authoritarian leader who breaks with social rules and legal orders

But economic woes such as social deprivation and unemployment aren't enough on their own to explain why Trump's devoted supporters keep faith. A more likely explanation is that self-professed 'forgotten men and women' are willing to subordinate themselves to an authoritarian leader who defies social rules and legal orders. Trump promises to 'make America great again' (mission), attacks internal and external enemies (Manichean demonisation), exhibits a strong personal presence, and uses derogatory language against opponents (makes supporters feel part of the in-group).

Beyond political style

Trump’s conduct and manners go beyond mere political style, however. His complete disregard for appropriate, statesmanlike behaviour is an essential source of his appeal. Trump breaks liberal-egalitarian norms and political rules, and commits constant transgressions. At the same time, he promises to restore his followers’ dignity and renew national pride.

We argue that Trump's charismatic authority and cult-like following strongly aligns with the concept of the transgressive carnival fool.

Understanding 'carnivalesque' populist appeal

Carnival might sound like harmless fun — dressing up and mocking those in power — and to an extent, it is. Since medieval times, carnivals have allowed 'the people', albeit briefly, to take the reins of power. In the carnival square they gorge on food and drink, poke fun at the elite... and then, a few days later, return to being a member of the oppressed masses.

Many pundits pointed out that Trump’s 2024 re-election bid became a 'carnival' of misogyny and racism

Transgression is a key value in a carnival. It is a topsy-turvy world where anything goes, language- and behaviour-wise, and a place where those in power reward norm-breaking. People celebrate carnival's emancipatory potential to mock those in power, and release them from the bonds of political correctness. Marginalised groups, however, often become the butt of the joke, if not of violent harassment, because, after all, carnival serves to maintain the existing hierarchy. Many pundits pointed out that Trump’s 2024 re-election bid became a carnival of misogyny and racism, even though it was his selling point right from the beginning.

From carnival, to charisma, to cult

You can say many things about Trump (and we have), but he certainly has charisma and the ability to translate it into political capital. Many Republican politicians have used this to their advantage.

In some cultures, the carnival fool quite literally has a mission to 'break' the old world and create a temporary new one. The populist's us-versus-them worldview, which encourages carnivalgoers to degrade the already marginalised, is also important in carnival. Here's a poignant observation on medieval carnivals from Mark Truesdale's Mingling Kings and Clowns. The sentiment is relevant to the US today, where mere disagreement with the Supreme Leader might invite doxing, death threats and harassment:

It is a reflection of the King’s own rule; his royal authority is maintained by the foresters’ violence, with the potential threat of execution looming in the shadows for those commoners who dare to disobey

In medieval carnival, everyone knew they could only break the rules for a week, after which it would be back to business as usual. Trump’s carnival has broken the rules to such an extent that even POLITY has downgraded US democratic credentials, suggesting the country is on the cusp of autocracy. This is a full-blown constitutional crisis. The Republican party is choosing fealty to their fool over foundational law of the land.

The cult or the kult? Historical parallels

Republican representatives and Trump supporters alike celebrate his carnivalesque behaviour. The backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion, and the often overt racism of the Trump 2.0 era, is eerily reminiscent of the Reconstruction, when the Ku Klux Klan emerged to maintain white supremacy amid Black emancipation. Like Trump supporters, the Klan liked to dress up, engage in violence and honour their dressed-up Grand Wizard mock-king.

Trump’s supporters can either choose to ignore the racist underpinnings of his campaign, or endorse them. Those who choose the latter may see racism as another transgression in which their Leader has finally 'given them permission' to indulge.

Supporters interpret Trump’s transgressions, rule-breaking and denigration of constructed enemies as charismatic authority and strong leadership. This translates into unquestioned devotion and the loyal support of his followers. In other words: a Karnival Karisma Kult.

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