Why MAGA Doesn't Care that Daddy Trump Broke His War Promise
Chaos is comfort when Daddy's the cause
Do you remember when MAGA started calling Trump “Daddy,” and the rest of the world thought it was really weird?
It was actually a key clue into the MAGA mindset—the one that likes it when Daddy tells them what to do. (And it has a lot to do with spanking, as Tucker Carlson pointed out.)
I think what people who expect integrity from leadership might not understand about Trump and his evangelical administration is that they are playing by the authoritarian daddy’s playbook.
Daddy could be drunk. He could have dementia. He could be motivated by antiquated theology or a frail ego. Daddy could be mentally ill. Daddy could be highly inappropriate or even a really bad guy who rapes women and girls. Daddy could be a pastor. Daddy could be so insecure about his position in life that he rules with a heavy hand, ready to squash any dissent. None of this matters to MAGA, all of whom are entrenched in family and religious patterns that reward authoritarian men regardless of how they behave.
Jane Junn, a professor of political sciences and gender and sexuality studies at the University of Southern California Dornsife College, told HuffPost that patriarchy, overall, has fueled a “longstanding concept in societies around the world that men should rule.”
She said the thinking is often that men should be “strong,” “tough and aggressive,” and “authoritative.”
As it relates to Trump, Junn said that his rhetoric is “consistent” with the idea that he wants to be seen as a leader who “knows best.”
Junn pointed out that Trump’s real-life history as a father and husband doesn’t fit traditional or conventional views of what a “family man” is, so she doesn’t think his personal life is what’s driving his supporters to call him “daddy.”
“I think the origin for his supporters is probably more [about] an authoritarian control, by a man, a single man,” she said. — Jane Junn, quoted by Kimberly Richards for the Huffington Post
With an unauthorized bombing and our sudden entry into an unwanted war, we’re seeing how Daddy Trump just convinced MAGA Nation to get with his program, despite campaigning as a candidate against war. What the rest of the world sees as a broken promise, MAGAs will adjust to accept. Why? How? Well, it’s all they know, and it’s why this man appealed to them.
Authoritarian daddies are never told “no.”
Authoritarian daddies don’t ask for permission from Congress.
Authoritarian daddies don’t face accountability.
They have immunity.
Authoritarian daddies put their fists down, strike first, and declare peace, by virtue of “because I said so.”
Despite clear appearances to the contrary, authoritarian daddies don’t break their promises. They spin them.
Holding his promise not to involve us in war in the Middle East would have required different leadership for his administration.
Holding his promise not to involve us in war in the Middle East would have required creativity, temperance, patience, and skill.
These are features Daddy Trump doesn’t possess. And his leadership was imposed on him by Christian Fundamentalists implementing Project 2025.
Instead of creativity and strong, experienced, and qualified leadership resources, authoritarian daddies call upon upper management: An authoritarian deity who likewise declares his will, cannot be questioned, and wipes the slate clean when he’s angry. Examples include flooding the planet and killing everyone but a single family, and burning Sodom and Gomorrah, in a story rife with inconsistencies.
Now, Trump, as God’s anointed authoritarian Daddy ruler, is flirting with nuclear war.
When authoritarian daddies issue a promise like this one, there’s a caveat in the empty space around the words:
I won’t do X unless you make me.
I won’t do it unless you force my hand.
Their broken promise has to be someone else’s fault. Authoritarian daddy gods spin their promises to make someone else’s choice the criteria for breaking it.
Their character is dependent upon the behavior of others.
Then they say, “This hurts me more than it hurts you.”
This is the mindset that will convince MAGA military mothers to sacrifice their children in an unsubstantiated war. This is the mindset that calls Republican leadership to abandon their constituents. To them, Daddy Trump is God, and he loves God, even as he behaves in ways that are the complete opposite of love, grace, patience, temperance, goodness, kindness, charity, generosity, joy, gentleness, and self-control.
MAGA god never changes. He can’t think creatively. He has no new solutions. He has a self-centered worldview. Sends children to war. Delights in suffering. Repeats the same stories and mistakes in perpetuity, forevermore, amen. I guess in that way, Daddy Trump really is a lot like the evangelical God.
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Great explanation of controlling personalities from the evangelical point of view. I think that there should be more explanations of this mindset from multiple experiences—people like yourself, who have survived this kind of abuse from a different organization, social psychologists, persons in higher education, finance, politics, journalism, etc—should all come together in a book or documentary. It is all the same mechanism of control, but spotting it is distinct in each experience. Political scientist Brian Klaas wrote a book, “Corruptible,” which showed examples of this type of personality/system. Something like that, but with different contributors writing about their experiences.
This is such a powerful description of deep, deep dysfunction permeating through every aspect of our lives. Thanks patriarchy. And in 5-4-3-2-1, will come the variations of the classic narcissistic responses: I never promised no war. And if I did, it didn't count because this is different. Besides, it won't be that bad. Everything is going great. You're overreacting. And it if is bad, it's no big deal. And it is a big deal, it's not my fault. And if it is a huge deal..they had it coming.
I guess the first step of recovery is "seeing" and naming the dysfunction. But what's next? How do we break the hold this toxic, miserable, murderous world view has on all of us? Thank you for articulating just how deep this kind of thinking has woven itself into every aspect of our existence.