As President Donald Trump's approval ratings swiftly spiral downward, his fundraising appeals have become increasingly desperate, with messaging that veers toward implicit threats against supporters who fail to contribute financially.
According to Salon analyst Chauncey DeVega, Trump seeks both financial contributions and personal affirmation that his MAGA base remains loyal as his broader support erodes.
A recent fundraising email employed veiled intimidation, referencing ICE enforcement. DeVega noted the message warned, "Does ICE need to come and track you down?"
DeVega wrote, "The president’s recent fundraising emails are part of a larger messaging campaign that has become increasingly menacing — even by Trump’s standards.
"Like an obsessed former lover, the president has been telling his MAGA voters that he loves them but is hurt because they appear to be ignoring him. He is wounded that they don't answer his multiple emails or pick up the phone when he calls. Trump's emails also ask his supporters if they are avoiding him or if they have blocked his number."
While the messaging could reflect Trump's psychological state, DeVega cautioned it reveals his continued influence over his base. "They should instead be taken seriously as an example of the power he still exerts over his MAGA base, and how he won the hearts and minds of tens of millions of Americans in the first place—factors that have long proven a competitive advantage that Democrats have struggled to overcome in recent presidential elections."
Political psychologist Steven Ducat described the dynamic as cult-like. "The leader is both the source of fear and the protector against it, it generates what social psychologist and cult researcher Alexandra Stein and others have called a trauma bond."
DeVega explained that Trump's fundraising strategy targets specific psychological profiles within his base. "As the president's support among the American people continues to crater, he will seek to exert even more control over his base. They, in turn, will likely feel even more compelled toward Trump, whom many view as their Dear Leader and personal savior, a dynamic common to political and other forms of personality cults."
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