As we all know, statements expressed with certainty aren’t necessarily true. But they can still pack a punch. Consider the following:
“I WON THE ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE.”
“They give us very little time. But we caught them, as you know, as fraudulent, dropping ballots, doing so many things, nobody can even believe it.”
“This wasn’t like a close election. You look at Georgia. We won Georgia big. We won Pennsylvania big. We won Wisconsin big. We won it big.”
Donald Trump made these statements nearly six weeks after losing the presidential election and in the face of nearly 50 subsequent losses in court, including two major ones at the Supreme Court. No one except Trump himself knows whether he actually believes these things, but in effect it doesn’t matter.
When Trump opens his mouth, we usually hear assertions – bold statements unencumbered by supporting evidence. The evidence is so clear, he implies, that it needs no mention, let alone any exposition. In fact, Trump often sidesteps the need for any specific facts by verbally winking to his audience and roping them in with phrases like, “as you know,” and “everyone knows.” Once someone joins this club of special knowledge, the need for facts is gone and any intrusion of the truth from outside sources is regarded with deep suspicion if it is regarded at all.
Simple certainty, even when based on lies, can sometimes be more compelling to us humans than logically derived truth, especially when we find ourselves in chaotic situations. Certainty offers a quick way out. We can avoid the time and energy needed for objective analysis. All we need to do is follow the leader. And once that leader has established his club (or cult), his power over club members can become nearly absolute.
I was struck by a statement from a pastor named Ruth Hilary at the pro-Trump demonstration in the nation’s capital yesterday. When asked by a Washington Post reporter if she will ever accept the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, she responded, “If President Trump accepts it and Vice President Pence accepts it, then we will accept it. But right now, this is a Godly protest.”
So, at least in Ms. Hilary’s mind, Trump could quickly put an end to the current chaos with a few simple words of concession. But there is something even more striking here: she also claims that the current protests in support of Trump are “Godly.” Well, if she believes this is true and she simultaneously believes that she would follow if Trump concedes, then the clear implication is that Trump trumps God, or at least that the two are in cahoots. Now that is power.
Having said that, I doubt that Pastor Ruth intended such a conclusion or would agree with it. Nevertheless, it gets at something fundamental here. Trump has been granted special power, not only by the religious right but also by other factions. Some people do indeed follow Trump because of a conviction that he is somehow anointed by God. Others follow him because he affirms their deep fears: displacement by non-white races, the perceived loss of American identity in the face of internationalism, the threat of socialism, the horror of becoming a “loser” or a “sucker” of any kind. Some pledge allegiance to Trump for policy reasons, ignoring the fact that Trump is no ideologue but is focused exclusively on himself.
As a narcissist, Trump feeds on adoration, and it seems evident that he will do almost anything to avoid starvation. When he inevitably leaves the White House on January 20, he will lose one major source of sustenance but will quickly cultivate others. He has dined at the biggest table in the world and won’t likely be satisfied with smaller ones. His grievance level, always high, will reach new peaks, and this will be dangerous. He will do everything he can to undermine the incoming administration and create division, as long as his followers keep feeding him. He will continue to make bold, unfounded assertions with great certainty, and his followers will use them to confirm their pre-existing biases. They will then heap praise upon Trump for speaking the “truth” and he will devour that praise, giving him fuel for the next round. And so the cycle will continue.
What then can we do to disrupt that cycle and reduce the danger? Up until six weeks ago, we could invoke the power of the vote. That tool has now been used, and to great advantage. But until the next election (with the major exception of the Georgia senate runoffs), it is no longer in our toolbox. And even if Trump himself were to fade into oblivion, Trumpism would remain.
The Grand Hope is that we will eventually solve the fundamental problems we have recently labeled “Trumpism” at their longstanding historical roots – directly addressing the racism, fears, inequities and disregard for the planet that persist in our country. But this feels as elusive as the Grand Unified Theory has been for physicists over the last century. It might even prove to be more intractable than that.
But if we care about the experiment we call the American Republic, or if we have even higher goals of global cooperation and peace, we must try. Here are some simple things I want to personally work on. Readers will undoubtedly have their own lists. I would love to see those lists and learn from them.
Support politicians and other leaders who share these goals, especially those who act with empathy.
Don’t let bald assertions go unchallenged, even when they come from my own “tribe.”
Admit fault when appropriate. Re-route as needed.
Be skeptical of certainty but also recognize the existence of objective truth.
Listen to opposing viewpoints and actively try to understand them. Solutions might lie in
common motivations hiding well below the surface.Actively seek common ground.
Recognize that science is the painstaking process of refining knowledge, of approaching the truth over time. As such, it is an essential and fundamentally human endeavor.
Try to practice kindness in all this, even when difficult.
Learn from failure and keep going.