A cloud of smoke engulfs a man at the center of the frame, wearing an armored plate carrier and a protective helmet on a city sidewalk at night. The smoke trails behind a thrown canister frozen mid-flight to the right of a no parking sign on the right-side of the frame. An older man in casual athletic wear jogs past a house with a wraparound porch, with a small "Trump 2020" yard flag visible in the background

"We are all sufferers from history, but the paranoid is a double sufferer, since he is afflicted not only by the real world, with the rest of us, but by his fantasies as well."
—Richard Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style in American Politics (1964)

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In November 2020, President Donald Trump lost the presidential election—but he didn't concede. For years he'd claimed that if he ever lost an election, the reason would be fraud. Prior to the election he'd doubled down on that claim, accusing his opponents—without evidence—of plotting to steal the election.

The election came during the coronavirus pandemic, when many Americans were unemployed or furloughed. Schools and businesses that could went remote; others shut down. In the ensuing uncertainty, long-dormant conspiracy theories found traction, and new myths and rumors proliferated.

Conservative media rationalized Trump's claims, and mainstream media catastrophized them. It was the culmination of five years of drum-beating primetime coverage, pitting right-wing extremists against left-wing extremists in a Manichaean fight for good and evil.

In the chaotic information landscape, both sides were positioned to profit from the fear and division of the electorate. Lies were weaponized by self-styled information warriors. Influencers led their audiences down rabbit holes and sold supplements and merchandise. Politicians and campaigns strategized to "flood the zone with shit." The media dutifully reported on all of it as ratings skyrocketed and funds poured into political coffers.

Following the 2020 election, Trump supporters—at the behest of Trump himself—took to the streets to "Stop the Steal," where they joined an amalgamation of far-right groups and agitators who had been active since the state-mandated COVID-19 lockdowns and counter-protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

As fall made way to winter, far-right protestors—once champions of law enforcement—began to turn their ire on police. A series of escalating conflicts in November and December reached their apogee on January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C., when Trump supporters and organized far-right militants stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of votes by Congress.

In the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol attack, some of the rioters regretted their actions. They came to see that they were used by Trump and his enablers—pawns in yet another scam at the American people's expense. Others dove deeper into conspiracy theories, where they rejoined the righteous quest against the deep state. The media ignored their complicity in Trump's cult of personality and building the fever pitch in which he incited an insurrection.

Trump was not an anomaly—he was a demagogue in a tradition of American demagogues; a manifestation of what historian Richard Hofstadter called the Paranoid Style in American Politics. He tapped into the deep resentments, suspicions, and myths in the substrate of American life, and gave the enemy a name. Americans will be susceptible to demagogues like Trump for as long as we refuse to look beneath the surface.

Joshua Wood
January 6, 2023

A person wearing a patterned sweater and carrying a leather handbag stands in front of an American flag. Blurred image of riot police in helmets and protective gear moving in formation, with string lights visible in the background. Trump supporters stand in the rain, one holding a "Trump 2020" sign and wearing a Trump hat while saluting the camera. Trump flags wave behind him. Black t-shirt with the text "TRUMP 45" above an image of a handgun with the words "KEEP AMERICA GREAT" written on the slide and the presidential seal displayed on the grip. Below the handgun the text reads, "Because 44 Didn't Work For 8 Years" Close-up black and white photograph of a police officer's riot helmet with the face shield lowered amidst a crowd of protesters. Black and white photo of a journalist holding a smart phone with a handheld monopod to record a crowd of protesters who are waving political signs and American flags. The journalist is in the foreground, with their back to the camera. A large banner can be seen in the background, with the focus of the picture on the camera screen where the partially obscured words "ARREST KATE BROWN DICTATOR CLOWN" are visible. A partially in-focus man stands to the right of the journalist with his hand raised to his mouth, taunting the journalist. Black and white nighttime image of a crowded political rally, featuring a prominent "TRUMP 2020" flag among a sea of supporters. American flags and other signs are visible, illuminated against the dark background. Two young men wearing military-style tactical helmets and gloves, both masked, stare menacingly towards the camera. One of the men brandishes a police baton. A third person's gloved hand obstructs the center of the camera. Helmeted police officers in riot gear brandish batons while standing in formation on a city street at night, illuminated by string lights overhead. Black and white silhouette of a lone person on a wet street at night, facing a line of police in riot gear partially visible in the background amid smoke or tear gas. A man armed with a large knife and wearing camouflage clothing and tactical gear stands with his back to the camera, holding a Trump flag. Over his shoulder is slung a baseball bat with an American flag attached to it. A sign in the background reads "We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ." Armed protesters in tactical gear and face masks stand in a line before a large American flag and a deer-like sculpture, with one wearing a camouflage hat and another carrying a backpack with the partially obscured text "Justice for J". Black and white image of a bearded man in tactical gear and sunglasses standing amid a crowd at a political rally. He wears a knit cap and body armor with a handgun strapped to the front of his vest. A political demonstration outside a government building. Two white men holding confederate flags are visible in the foreground. In the distance, a black man wearing a "BLACK LIVES MAGA" shirt and carrying an American flag faces the confederate flag carriers uncertainly. A black and white photo of a burning effigy engulfed in flames and dark smoke, held aloft with grinning onlookers in the background. A rainy outdoor political rally. In the foreground, a man wearing military-style tactical gear and carrying a rifle is walking towards the photographer on the wet street, staring into the camera. Behind him is a white pickup truck with various American and Trump flags attached. Other individuals in rain gear can be seen nearby, and there are multiple vehicles and flags visible in the background. Close-up black and white image of a person wearing a leather jacket, with a semi-automatic rifle hanging at their side. A live round is visible in the chamber. A group of protesters at an outdoor rally in rainy weather, some wearing Trump merchandise and others in tactical gear with face coverings. Some stare menacingly towards the camera. American flags are visible among the crowd. Close-up of two protesters wearing yellow garments, one wrapped in a "DON'T TREAD ON ME" flag, the other in tactical gear and a black shirt with the letters "FU" visible. One of the protester's gloved hands grasps a wooden axe handle. Demonstrators gather at a political event. A person wearing a U.S. Army jacket holds a modified American flag featuring the roman numeral III, the date 1776, and the text "WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES LAW REBELLION BECOMES DUTY". A person holds a campaign sign that reads "TRUMP PENCE KEEP AMERICA GREAT! 2020" at a rainy outdoor political rally, amidst a crowd of people in raincoats and holding umbrellas. Close-up of armed protesters at a political rally, showing tactical vests, firearms, and yellow armbands. An American flag is partially visible in the background over a chain-link fence. A black and white photo of a young man standing with his back to the camera. His dark t-shirt reads, "I'M A PATRIOT, WEAPONS ARE PART OF MY RELIGION". The text surrounds a gladiator-style helmet, muskets, and 2/A and 17/76 iconography. A black and white photo of a man at a crowded political rally. He's surrounded by American flags and a "Trump 2020" flag to his right. The man wears an American flag shirt over a military-style armored plate carrier with several magazine pouches attached to the front. An AR-style rifle with a magazine and scope is slung over his right shoulder and hangs vertically in front of his torso, with his hands resting on the stock of the rifle. The man's lower face is hidden by an American flag mask that matches his shirt. His eyes look unflinchingly at the camera. Two men, one wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the other a military-style armored plate carrier, face a group of advancing police in riot gear on a rainy city street at night. The man in the sweatshirt is attempting to hold back the man in the plate carrier as he gestures aggressively at the police. A man in a MAGA hat holds a large American flag and QAnon flag at political rally with crowd visible in background. The Q graphic on the QAnon flag appears to be engulfed in flames. A large crowd with raincoats and umbrellas gathers around tents at a political rally on a rainy day in Oregon, with an American flag-themed umbrella in the foreground. In the background, President Donald Trump is visible on a TV screen, addressing protesters at the U.S. Capitol. A news helicopter hovers high overhead. A group of men, some wearing tactical vests and protective helmets, walk across a grassy area, approaching an individual wearing a gas mask who is walking backwards with their hands partially raised. A large folding knife is visible, attached to one of the advancing men's pockets. A man wearing a plaid shirt and a red "USA" cap stands facing a line of law enforcement officers in riot gear. A close-up black and white photo through a rain-spattered car window shows an older man with a beard gesturing wildly with his middle fingers at a second camera in the foreground. The man's face is partially obscured by reflections on the glass. A close-up of a pickup truck tailgate displays a worn "TRUMP PENCE MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN 2016" bumper sticker with Pence's name crossed out with a marker. A gathering of people near a body of water, with the Washington State Capitol building visible in the background. A blurry man in the foreground flashes an "OK" hand sign to the camera as he passes. The man is wearing a ball cap and a military-style armored plate carrier. Behind him, a masked man in a ball cap advances menacingly.