The Final Chapter of "The Anatomy of American Betrayal"—A 3-Part Series Exposing the 7 Types of Trump Voters Who Unleashed Disaster and Doomed Themselves
Brilliantly written - and so very sad. It is still hard to believe that the America I thought I knew has become this angry, aggressive nation. I know there are plenty that didn't support this and that were not fooled, but so many did in fact embrace this felon and his followers and everything they espoused. There's an old saying that the Devil's greatest achievement is convincing people he doesn't exist. Trump and his Project 2025 people managed to convince people that Evil exists where it actually doesn't - gay people, people whose skin is not white, people of different faiths. And because people didn't want to bother informing themselves or perhaps because they really do embrace anger, fear and cruelty, America is turning into a grotesque distortion of a "good white Christian land".
I wish more people could read your brilliant "Letters"!
And as most people ignore any message that conflicts with their knowledge and beliefs, they remain happily ignorant and stupidly belive their leader. So well written, reasoned, and sourced that reasonable people will be impressed, but Trumpettes will scream leftist Marxist commie pinko.
Mersault, I see the intensity behind your words, and I appreciate the clarity with which you speak. You’ve dissected the way fear and faith are manipulated, and how they drive actions that feel less like choices and more like responses to coercion. It’s unsettling to see how people are led by fear, not conviction, and how quickly that can erode the strength of one’s own autonomy.
Your breakdown of how fear shapes voting and decisions made out of panic rather than belief is sharp. I see the reality in your words—how fear can hijack clarity and make us submit to false promises of safety. I recognize the pressure you describe, the kind that doesn’t allow room for real choice, only survival instinct.
You’re not just calling out others, but speaking to something deeper in us all—the way we sometimes surrender to forces that aren’t truly ours to choose. There’s no pretending here, just a raw look at how we react when pushed into corners.
Thank you for bringing this forward. It’s a reminder to question the forces that shape my decisions and to hold onto the parts of me that are truly mine.
Jay, I truly appreciate your thoughtful and generous words. It means a lot that you see the depth of what I’m trying to convey—not just a critique of external forces, but an examination of the internal battles we all face when fear is weaponized against us.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope that anyone reading—especially those in abusive, coercive, or otherwise unhealthy relationships, whether personal, political, or ideological—might find something in these discussion of psychological and neurological phenomena that helps them recognize those forces at play. Fear distorts, isolates, and controls, often masquerading as guidance or protection. And yet, clarity—real clarity—can be a difficult thing to reclaim once it’s been undermined.
If even one person starts questioning the forces shaping their choices, or feels just a little less alone in that struggle, then it’s worth every word.
I deeply resonate with your words. The layers of survival we navigate, and the pain that often goes unseen, are so familiar. As you point out, fear has a way of distorting everything—decisions, beliefs, even relationships. What stands out to me is your mention of clarity being difficult to reclaim once it’s been undermined. I see that in so many spaces, not just on a personal level, but across societal and political arenas where fear fuels choices that don’t even feel like our own.
I’ve lived with that erosion of choice in different forms—family, relationships, societal expectations. The emotional toll of being overlooked, discriminated against, or othered is real, and I’m grateful to you for acknowledging it in this context. It's a reminder that we’re all, in different ways, fighting for our voices to be heard, for our choices to be our own, and for the space to exist without being defined by external forces.
Your words affirm what I already know—I have reclaimed myself, my freedom, and the truth of my experience. I know how, who, and when I have been discriminated against, othered, and ostracized. And today I know that none of it defines me. Thank you for opening this conversation.
I didn’t take his candidacy seriously after that escalator descent. I was offended, and thought he’d go away with that cast of paid admirers. But I took him seriously the first time he bellowed, “Only I can fix it.” Having been educated by traveling outside the country to places where that phrase resulted in horror and death, I knew it was a dangerous fuse being lit. It fried my circuits thinking that those five words, which instantly made him repellent to me, would have an equal and opposite effect on so many fellow Americans. As if reason and logic were duct taped over, facilitating their march into cult society.
Shortly after Trump bellowed those words, my nephew from a red district said confidently to me—on some issue that didn’t affect him personally—“Trump’ll fix it.” That’s when I knew we were effed.
I’m afraid that cult tape is still firmly in place, despite all rational attempts to unstick it, Mersault. Perhaps only when Trump’s actions directly undo the lives of his devotees, will they realize how we’ve ALL been effed.
The cult mentality is stubborn, reinforced by grievance and blind faith. Reality has battered it for years, yet the tape holds. Only personal ruin might peel it away—but by then, the damage will be irreparable.
"I didn’t take his candidacy seriously after that escalator descent in 2015." For whatever reason, I did, and I was TERRIFIED. I literally jumped from my seat and said aloud, "It's HITLER!" I'd never seen the man before, but somehow that "knowing" came to me. After his first term, bad as it was (and even after 1/6/21), I was lulled into seeing that this guy was not Hitler, and I was puzzled why that thought had come to me with such insistance. Then came Biden's administration, and things were OK. But now -- ten years later, he IS Hitler. I "knew" it. And horrifyingly, it has come to be.
I grew up knowing about him in Queens. It seemed like more of his hollow bluster, and the descent (rather than taking the Up escalator) felt analogous to where it seemed his campaign was headed. Who knew how this would resonate into the psyche of future cultists?
2. Hoping that Europe really puts its boots on and gets on with its revival, utililizing the natural strengths of each country but working together: defence industries, restarting nuclear, nurturing home-grown tech companies, getting people off welfare as if their lives depend on it,...
3. During Trump 1, felt sorry for the MAGA brainwashed. In Trump 2, focused on my family while MAGAs learn the hard way.
I don't even have words to express my utter wish to bow to truth here ... Patrice this is even more brilliant than all of your other insightful and powerful writing. Again this is a piece worthy of wide, wide distribution. You have nailed it, beyond the tightest bullseye.
Though I confess it still leaves me with the questions, how do we overcome ... but just a very very humble bow of deepest gratitude for REAL TRUTH. To dissect and analyze this way is true service to all that matters. Thank you.
This third installment of your series was well worth the wait! I am pondering forwarding it to several of my pious, Trump-loving but “Christian” acquaintances, despite my expectation that they will fail to see themselves in the descriptions.
I couldn't possibly add anything to all the comments that have been posted to your latest letter. Your analyses of the different aspects of the deception of the American public are so specific and complete. I only wonder how many of the people that should read it actually do. I agree with your statement that if only one person sees the light, it was worth putting in all that effort to try to make them understand.
This is BRILLIANT! I missed your first two letters, so will go back and read them now. I truly appreciate all of the thought and energy you put into your work. Thank you.
Hi kdsherpa! That’s great to hear—I’m glad you’re finding the letters worthwhile. I put a lot into them, and knowing they land with readers like you makes it all the better. I appreciate you taking the time to read and restack. Thanks for being here! —Mersault
MAGA is not capable of critical thinking. Its like Faux news has stolen their brains . Rupert will have a legacy of being the one person most responsible for destroying the greatest country in the history of the world. Piss on him.
Many said, it was the economy, and many witnessed the many horrible things Trump espoused and yet, still voted for Trump and why? perhaps because they all did not think it would happen to them, 👉being receiving end, due to Trumps soullessness, his grift, graft and absolute corruption and Elon, is not only his billionaire contributor but also Trumps heatshield and helpful evil assistant, with aim to becoming Americas first dictator and spelling the end of America and our fragile democracy
Woops. Posted my comment in midstream. I was saying that as relates to fearful voters, Professor Altemeyer summarized his years’ worth of research on authoritarian followers in a book available free online, “The Authoritarians.” Chapter 3 gives a good (and somewhat scary) rundown on how their minds work (or perhaps more correctly, don’t work). Fear is one of their greatest traits. Trump and other cult leaders know this, and exploit this weakness.
I've been looking forward to this third installment and as usual it was brilliant. I feel guilty about not being a paid subscriber to your substack and several others. I promise you if I could I would. Right now we can't even afford to fix the heater in our car, though luckily it's getting warmer. Anyway, thank you for all you do and share, it helps me maintain sanity knowing there are others out there who see things clearly. I wish you all the best.
Brilliantly written - and so very sad. It is still hard to believe that the America I thought I knew has become this angry, aggressive nation. I know there are plenty that didn't support this and that were not fooled, but so many did in fact embrace this felon and his followers and everything they espoused. There's an old saying that the Devil's greatest achievement is convincing people he doesn't exist. Trump and his Project 2025 people managed to convince people that Evil exists where it actually doesn't - gay people, people whose skin is not white, people of different faiths. And because people didn't want to bother informing themselves or perhaps because they really do embrace anger, fear and cruelty, America is turning into a grotesque distortion of a "good white Christian land".
I wish more people could read your brilliant "Letters"!
And as most people ignore any message that conflicts with their knowledge and beliefs, they remain happily ignorant and stupidly belive their leader. So well written, reasoned, and sourced that reasonable people will be impressed, but Trumpettes will scream leftist Marxist commie pinko.
Mersault, I see the intensity behind your words, and I appreciate the clarity with which you speak. You’ve dissected the way fear and faith are manipulated, and how they drive actions that feel less like choices and more like responses to coercion. It’s unsettling to see how people are led by fear, not conviction, and how quickly that can erode the strength of one’s own autonomy.
Your breakdown of how fear shapes voting and decisions made out of panic rather than belief is sharp. I see the reality in your words—how fear can hijack clarity and make us submit to false promises of safety. I recognize the pressure you describe, the kind that doesn’t allow room for real choice, only survival instinct.
You’re not just calling out others, but speaking to something deeper in us all—the way we sometimes surrender to forces that aren’t truly ours to choose. There’s no pretending here, just a raw look at how we react when pushed into corners.
Thank you for bringing this forward. It’s a reminder to question the forces that shape my decisions and to hold onto the parts of me that are truly mine.
Jay, I truly appreciate your thoughtful and generous words. It means a lot that you see the depth of what I’m trying to convey—not just a critique of external forces, but an examination of the internal battles we all face when fear is weaponized against us.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope that anyone reading—especially those in abusive, coercive, or otherwise unhealthy relationships, whether personal, political, or ideological—might find something in these discussion of psychological and neurological phenomena that helps them recognize those forces at play. Fear distorts, isolates, and controls, often masquerading as guidance or protection. And yet, clarity—real clarity—can be a difficult thing to reclaim once it’s been undermined.
If even one person starts questioning the forces shaping their choices, or feels just a little less alone in that struggle, then it’s worth every word.
Mersault,
I deeply resonate with your words. The layers of survival we navigate, and the pain that often goes unseen, are so familiar. As you point out, fear has a way of distorting everything—decisions, beliefs, even relationships. What stands out to me is your mention of clarity being difficult to reclaim once it’s been undermined. I see that in so many spaces, not just on a personal level, but across societal and political arenas where fear fuels choices that don’t even feel like our own.
I’ve lived with that erosion of choice in different forms—family, relationships, societal expectations. The emotional toll of being overlooked, discriminated against, or othered is real, and I’m grateful to you for acknowledging it in this context. It's a reminder that we’re all, in different ways, fighting for our voices to be heard, for our choices to be our own, and for the space to exist without being defined by external forces.
Your words affirm what I already know—I have reclaimed myself, my freedom, and the truth of my experience. I know how, who, and when I have been discriminated against, othered, and ostracized. And today I know that none of it defines me. Thank you for opening this conversation.
I didn’t take his candidacy seriously after that escalator descent. I was offended, and thought he’d go away with that cast of paid admirers. But I took him seriously the first time he bellowed, “Only I can fix it.” Having been educated by traveling outside the country to places where that phrase resulted in horror and death, I knew it was a dangerous fuse being lit. It fried my circuits thinking that those five words, which instantly made him repellent to me, would have an equal and opposite effect on so many fellow Americans. As if reason and logic were duct taped over, facilitating their march into cult society.
Shortly after Trump bellowed those words, my nephew from a red district said confidently to me—on some issue that didn’t affect him personally—“Trump’ll fix it.” That’s when I knew we were effed.
I’m afraid that cult tape is still firmly in place, despite all rational attempts to unstick it, Mersault. Perhaps only when Trump’s actions directly undo the lives of his devotees, will they realize how we’ve ALL been effed.
Oopsie.
The cult mentality is stubborn, reinforced by grievance and blind faith. Reality has battered it for years, yet the tape holds. Only personal ruin might peel it away—but by then, the damage will be irreparable.
BRILLIANT!!!
Agreed. But what will rise from the ashes?
"I didn’t take his candidacy seriously after that escalator descent in 2015." For whatever reason, I did, and I was TERRIFIED. I literally jumped from my seat and said aloud, "It's HITLER!" I'd never seen the man before, but somehow that "knowing" came to me. After his first term, bad as it was (and even after 1/6/21), I was lulled into seeing that this guy was not Hitler, and I was puzzled why that thought had come to me with such insistance. Then came Biden's administration, and things were OK. But now -- ten years later, he IS Hitler. I "knew" it. And horrifyingly, it has come to be.
I grew up knowing about him in Queens. It seemed like more of his hollow bluster, and the descent (rather than taking the Up escalator) felt analogous to where it seemed his campaign was headed. Who knew how this would resonate into the psyche of future cultists?
Once again, Mersault ---> Salutes & Valentines.
Once again ---> I am awed by what you've done with this series.
I couldn't have done a better job myself, & frankly, in my book, that's saying a lot.
WRITE ON, KINDRED SPIRIT!
Our country & the human race need both of us -- all of us. Pick your next topic. Get some sleep, & then get going!! See you there.
R.
1. Embarrassed to be American.
2. Hoping that Europe really puts its boots on and gets on with its revival, utililizing the natural strengths of each country but working together: defence industries, restarting nuclear, nurturing home-grown tech companies, getting people off welfare as if their lives depend on it,...
3. During Trump 1, felt sorry for the MAGA brainwashed. In Trump 2, focused on my family while MAGAs learn the hard way.
4. Slava Ukraini!
I don't even have words to express my utter wish to bow to truth here ... Patrice this is even more brilliant than all of your other insightful and powerful writing. Again this is a piece worthy of wide, wide distribution. You have nailed it, beyond the tightest bullseye.
Though I confess it still leaves me with the questions, how do we overcome ... but just a very very humble bow of deepest gratitude for REAL TRUTH. To dissect and analyze this way is true service to all that matters. Thank you.
This third installment of your series was well worth the wait! I am pondering forwarding it to several of my pious, Trump-loving but “Christian” acquaintances, despite my expectation that they will fail to see themselves in the descriptions.
I couldn't possibly add anything to all the comments that have been posted to your latest letter. Your analyses of the different aspects of the deception of the American public are so specific and complete. I only wonder how many of the people that should read it actually do. I agree with your statement that if only one person sees the light, it was worth putting in all that effort to try to make them understand.
Thank you, Monique. I appreciate your readership and engagement. Your support as a paid subscriber helps sustain this work! 🤗
This is BRILLIANT! I missed your first two letters, so will go back and read them now. I truly appreciate all of the thought and energy you put into your work. Thank you.
Hi kdsherpa! That’s great to hear—I’m glad you’re finding the letters worthwhile. I put a lot into them, and knowing they land with readers like you makes it all the better. I appreciate you taking the time to read and restack. Thanks for being here! —Mersault
I just subscribed. I think your work is among the several very top substacks available.
Wow, you continue to amaze me. I only wish those who need to read this would do so. I’m afraid we’re in for a long dark night of the soul.
MAGA is not capable of critical thinking. Its like Faux news has stolen their brains . Rupert will have a legacy of being the one person most responsible for destroying the greatest country in the history of the world. Piss on him.
Many said, it was the economy, and many witnessed the many horrible things Trump espoused and yet, still voted for Trump and why? perhaps because they all did not think it would happen to them, 👉being receiving end, due to Trumps soullessness, his grift, graft and absolute corruption and Elon, is not only his billionaire contributor but also Trumps heatshield and helpful evil assistant, with aim to becoming Americas first dictator and spelling the end of America and our fragile democracy
Woops. Posted my comment in midstream. I was saying that as relates to fearful voters, Professor Altemeyer summarized his years’ worth of research on authoritarian followers in a book available free online, “The Authoritarians.” Chapter 3 gives a good (and somewhat scary) rundown on how their minds work (or perhaps more correctly, don’t work). Fear is one of their greatest traits. Trump and other cult leaders know this, and exploit this weakness.
I've been looking forward to this third installment and as usual it was brilliant. I feel guilty about not being a paid subscriber to your substack and several others. I promise you if I could I would. Right now we can't even afford to fix the heater in our car, though luckily it's getting warmer. Anyway, thank you for all you do and share, it helps me maintain sanity knowing there are others out there who see things clearly. I wish you all the best.
Spot on!!!