Despite manifest incompetence, supporting policies that would harm his supporters and obvious constant lying, Trump enjoys support from a core group that remains loyal. The best explanation for this phenomenon can be found in work anthropologists have done on South Pacific cargo cults.
These groups sprang up in native populations before, during and after World War II with members believing that ships or planes would bring them great wealth. In some of the most notable cases, people built aircraft runways on remote islands, constructed control towers and sat in the towers wearing radio headphones that they had carved out of wood. They believed that practicing these rituals would cause airplanes to land and bring them a wealth of supplies. They created full-scale airplane models out of wood hoping they would magically attract real planes.
The cult’s leaders often told them the goods would be coming through the powers of ancestor spirits who were concerned about the breakdown in social order. This appealed to people who felt social hierarchies were threatened. In 21st century America, there are people who see the election of a black president, the candidacy of a woman for president, the arrival of non-white immigrants, and poor people getting health care as disruptions of the social order that threaten their status.
In addition to straightening out the social order, the ancestor spirits are expected to bring great wealth.
In a Journal of Social and Political Psychology article, Thomas Pettigrew explains that though Trump supporters are not really economically disadvantaged, they feel like they are not getting their share as other groups get more. This feeling of relative depravation ties into the cargo cult belief that the social order is breaking down. article
In cargo cults people feel that attachment to a charismatic leader will make them rich. This concept was manifest in the whole idea of Trump University. People were led to pay thousands of dollars to get the secret of wealth from The Donald. When it didn’t work, the answer was to give more money for more Trump knowledge.
It is surprising to some that Christians make up a large percentage of the diehard Trumpists. The prosperity gospel is now taking up a larger share of the religious audience in America. Members do not want to hear about a ragged Jew talking about feeding the poor. They want to know how to become rich. This gives the Trump cult a solid base within a number of churches.
To some extent, cargo cults run their course, but not always. The faithful are still waiting on the island of Tanna for John Frum to return with a load of goods. A separate cult on the same island waits for Tom Navy to make everyone rich.
