Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Shared Psychosis or Political Pathology?

Experts Debate Mental Health Narratives Around MAGA Movement

News

Shared Psychosis or Political Pathology?

artistic interpretation of MAGA followers

AI created

In the age of Trump, American politics has become a theater of emotional extremes. Loyalty is lionized, facts are fungible, and grievance is gospel. For many observers, the MAGA movement is not just a political faction—it’s a psychological phenomenon. But as mental health professionals increasingly weigh in on the emotional tenor of President Donald Trump’s base, we must ask: when does diagnosis become dismissal? And what are the consequences of pathologizing political identity?

As Trump’s political resurgence continues to galvanize his base, a growing chorus of mental health and political theorists raises alarms about what they describe as the psychological dynamics underpinning the MAGA movement. While critics warn against pathologizing political dissent, others argue that the emotional intensity and conspiratorial thinking among some Trump loyalists reflect deeper psychological patterns.


“For many Trump supporters, their embrace of the convicted felon, despite his observable falsehoods and incendiary rhetoric, is not rooted in traditional conservatism but in a belief that he alone articulates their alienation,” writes the Milwaukee Independent, describing the movement as “a subculture marked by deep emotional identification with Trump, rejection of institutional legitimacy, and a worldview shaped less by shared policy preferences than by a shared sense of grievance and defiance”.

Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a forensic psychiatrist and former Yale faculty member, has been one of the most vocal experts on the subject. In an interview with Scientific American, she described the phenomenon as a “shared psychosis,” explaining that “narcissistic symbiosis” between Trump and his followers creates a magnetically attractive leader-follower bond. “Truth is subordinate to loyalty,” Lee said, emphasizing how emotional drives override rational analysis.

This framing has sparked controversy. Critics argue that diagnosing political behavior risks echoing authoritarian tactics. In Chronicles Magazine, commentator Carl F. Horowitz warns of a “New Therapeutic Regime” where dissent is medicalized. He quotes psychologist John Gartner, who has claimed Trump suffers from “malignant narcissistic personality disorder, hyper manic temperament, and dementia,” and cautions that such diagnoses—especially from afar—blur the line between clinical insight and political weaponization.

The debate is not merely academic. It addresses fundamental questions about democracy, civic discourse, and the ethics of mental health advocacy. As Trump rallies continue to draw fervent crowds and his legal battles intensify, the psychological framing of his movement remains a flashpoint in American political culture.

Whether viewed as a populist uprising, a cult of personality, or a manifestation of collective trauma, the MAGA movement continues to challenge conventional political analysis—and, increasingly, the boundaries of psychological interpretation.

Let’s be clear: emotional intensity is not a diagnosis. Distrust in government is not a disorder. And political passion—however misinformed or misdirected—is not proof of psychosis. To label millions of Americans as mentally ill because they support a controversial figure is to abandon the hard work of civic engagement in favor of clinical shorthand.

This is not a defense of Trumpism. It is a defense of nuance. The MAGA movement is fueled by economic anxiety, cultural displacement, and a profound sense of betrayal. These are real emotions, not symptoms. They deserve analysis, not ridicule.

If we want to heal the nation, we must resist the temptation to medicalize our political opponents. Instead, we should invest in dialogue, education, and structural reform. The mind of America is fractured—but not beyond repair. Let’s treat it with care, not contempt.

Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum and the publisher of the Latino News Network.

Read More

The Noosphere Is Here–and the Struggle for Its Soul Now Runs Through Musk, Putin, and Trump

The noosphere is here—and it’s under siege. This essay explores how Musk, Trump, and Putin are shaping the global mind through Starlink, X, and cognitive warfare.

Getty Images, Yuichiro Chino

The Noosphere Is Here–and the Struggle for Its Soul Now Runs Through Musk, Putin, and Trump

In the early 20th century, two thinkers—Russian geochemist Vladimir Vernadsky and French Jesuit philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin—imagined a moment when humanity’s collective consciousness would crystallize into a new planetary layer: the noosphere, from the Greek nous, meaning “mind.” A web of thought enveloping the globe, driven by shared knowledge, science, and a spiritual awakening.

Today, the noosphere is no longer speculation. It is orbiting above us, pulsing through the algorithms of our digital platforms. And it is being weaponized in real time. Its arrival has not ushered in global unity but cognitive warfare. Its architecture is not governed by democracies or international institutions but by a handful of unaccountable actors.

Keep ReadingShow less
2025 Democracy Awards Ceremony Celebrates Bipartisan Excellence in Public Service

The Democracy Awards Ceremony hosted by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) on Thursday, September 18, 2025

Credit: CMF

2025 Democracy Awards Ceremony Celebrates Bipartisan Excellence in Public Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) hosted its annual Democracy Awards Ceremony on Thursday, September 18, recognizing exceptional Members of Congress and staff who exemplify outstanding public service, operational excellence, and innovation in their work on Capitol Hill.

In the stately House Ways & Means Committee Hearing Room, the 8th annual Democracy Awards ceremony unfolded as a heartfelt tribute to the congressional offices honored earlier this summer. The event marked more than just a formal recognition—it was a celebration of integrity, dedication, and the enduring spirit of public service.

Keep ReadingShow less
What Makes Trump’s Power Grab Different?

Workers hang a large photo of President Donald Trump next to a U.S. flag on the facade of the Department of Labor headquarters building in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 27, 2025.

Drew Angerer/AFP/Getty Images/TNS

What Makes Trump’s Power Grab Different?

For many, the evidence is in: Donald Trump wants to be an autocrat. If you haven’t read an op-ed or heard a radio, TV or podcast commentator make that case, it’s probably because you’ve tried hard to avoid doing so. It would require virtually never watching cable news, including pro-Trump outlets, because there are few things Fox News and its imitators love more than running clips of MSNBC hosts and other “resistance” types, not to mention Democratic politicians, melting down over Trump’s “war on democracy,” “authoritarian power-grabs,” etc.

Move further to the right, and you’ll find populists who want Trump to be an autocrat. They use terms like “Red Caesarism,” or “neomonarchism,” while others pine for an American Pinochet or Francisco Franco or compare Trump to biblical figures like the Persian King Cyrus or ancient Israel’s King David. I can’t really blame anyone for taking these pathetic Bonapartists at their word.

Keep ReadingShow less
Celebrating Congressional Excellence: Democracy Awards 2025
United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Celebrating Congressional Excellence: Democracy Awards 2025

In a moment of bipartisan celebration, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) will honor the winners of its 2025 Democracy Awards, spotlighting congressional offices that exemplify outstanding public service, operational excellence, and innovation in governance.

The ceremony, scheduled for this Thursday, September 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C., will recognize both Republican and Democratic offices across multiple categories, reinforcing the idea that excellence in Congress transcends party lines.

Keep ReadingShow less