Trump Election Fraud Claims from a Psychological Perspective

 

One of the most fundamental recent events in society has been the Donald Trump election fraud claims, which have not only seen this individual refuse to concede the election to the winner, but also create an environment within which a significant number of Americans no longer have confidence in their electoral system. The significance of this situation cannot be underestimated because they have led to a scenario where there is an opening for future presidential candidates to dispute the elections based on false claims of fraud as well as attempts to make use of the judicial process to ensure that there is the promotion of their personal rather than national interests. Trump’s rejection of the election results based on unsubstantiated fraud claims came about following his realization that he was falling behind Joe Biden, his main rival, and that there was a high possibility of his losing the elections. This led to his turning to his Twitter account and making use of it as a means of promoting his false narrative, in a manner that not only galvanized his supporters, but also ensured that there was the promotion of a scenario where doubt was cast on the election results. It is noteworthy that because of his claims, Trump has not only endangered American democracy, but he has also put it into considerable strain as he has created an environment within which future candidates from both parties could use the same baseless claims in attempts to keep power. This paper considers the Trump election fraud claims from a psychological perspective, with specific reference to the social dominance orientation and the authoritarian perspectives.

The election fraud claims that were leveled by President Trump as well as his campaign team have had a highly divisive effect on the United States. This is because it has left a large number of individuals who voted for Trump feeling disenfranchised based on the belief that the election was stolen and that Trump, who represents their interests, was wrongfully pushed out of power by the Deep State as well as corruption within the election process. This is a reflection of the influence of the authoritarian perspective, which shows the manner through which these individuals display deference to authority, in this case the authority of President Trump and the belief that all that he says is the truth. The authoritarian perspective is characterized by a rigidity when it comes to the hierarchical view of the world, aggression towards groups that are considered foreign, as well as concerted efforts to resist new experiences. This is a scenario that has played an important role in the promotion of the Trump agenda because his supporters are individuals that display the characteristics of viewing the world from an authoritarian perspective. These individuals have come to believe that Trump is not only right, but that there are outside forces out to ensure that the white dominance of American society, who they consider to be true Americans, is eroded, to be replaced by foreigners. Trump has played on these fears to such an extent that he has made use of the fear and sense of being under threat among his supporters to ensure that they view the new political reality as being a threatening and dangerous place that they should resist. This is the reason why they have continued to give considerable support to the unsubstantiated claims by Trump while at the same time attacking the validity of the election results.

The social dominance orientation has also come into play in this scenario because of the enhancement of a perception of danger by the dominant majority in American society. Trump has undertaken to make use of the tactics applied by authoritarian or populist leaders across the world as a means of making sure that there is the promotion of his agenda. This has been seen through the way that he has undertaken to make false claims about the danger of the liberals and other left leaning members of society. He has claimed that they are out to destroy the American way of life through not only lifting controls on immigration, but also seeking to make sure that there is the promotion of a situation where white people, especially in the rural areas, are disenfranchised in their own country. Trump has further made false claims about increased crime as well as unvetted immigration which have further created the idea of being under siege among his supporters. With a background of terrorist threats that are actually genuine, citizens who already feel threatened and have experienced considerable change in their communities have come to support Trump and the simple solutions that he has offered them. The sense of being under threat because of the coming loss of power has made Trump a highly dangerous individual and it may only be a matter of time before he ends up undertaking actions aimed at encouraging his supporters to take on a more aggressive approach that could considerably harm the social fabric. There is also the potential of Trumpist movement becoming a powerful force in a society that is currently quite diverse yet could end up becoming more conservative because of the social dominance orientation of the white majority.

The psychological factors considered above are not unique to the United States. However, the fraud claims by President Trump could end up creating an environment within which future elections will come to be viewed with suspicion by a considerable part of society. Thus, it would have been best for all parties involved to take a calm stance and give the electoral system a change to do its work. Trump is not the first one-term president in the history of the United States and he is unlikely to be the last and it is the same electoral system that brought him to the presidency. Therefore, his supporters should have taken on a more rational approach based on the fact that the United States has an open political and electoral process that allows individuals to run for office in future elections if they wish to do so. Trump could look at 2024 as another opportunity to not only galvanize his support, but also win back the White House. The approach that he has taken is counterproductive and all Americans, including his supporters, should ensure that they not only reject his false claims of fraud, and accept the new reality that President Trump was defeated in a fair election process and that Joe Biden will become the new president of the United States following the inauguration ceremony in January.