‘Cult of Trump’ grows from loneliness

To The Editor:

I remember being a college student and hearing my Philosophy professor saying this to the class: “Loneliness is the least talked about social problem in the USA.”

This came back to me when I was trying to understand why so many conservative Republicans (especially the ones who are radical-right-wing and far-right-wing) react so strongly against COVID vaccines and indoor mask-wearing. Their rage over this seems way out of proportion, as well as irrational.

I now believe that what is “behind” a lot of their over-reactions is that it means the world to them to be a part of and a follower of what some Democrats call “The Cult of Donald Trump.” Being a part of a cult or of any large group can take away a lot of our loneliness. It feels good to be approved of, accepted by, and valued by a large group, and so we go along with what they say and do even when we know, way deep down inside, that a lot of it is foolishness and nonsense.

Stewart B. Epstein

Rochester, N.Y.

Stewart Epstein is a retired college professor of Sociology and Social Work who taught at West Virginia University, Slippery Rock University, and SUNY-Brockport.