It was interesting to watch the FOXNews meltdown down last night after a socialist was elected mayor of New York. Especially since Trump is literally engaging in socialistic policies/practices. Some thoughts on “Trumpian Socialism”...
For context....on the Bulwark’s, “Secret Podcast”, JVL and Sarah Longwell discussed:
1. The U.S. government selected Westinghouse to build nuclear reactors. The government is going to spend $80 billion on the project. There will be no competitive bidding process. There is a “profit participation clause” that allows the U.S. government to exract 20% of every dollar Westinghouse makes if the total market value of Westinghouse is worth more than $30 billion, the government can force Westinghouse to conduct an IPO where government is given 20% of the shares of the entire company. Westinghouse will be worth $30 billion because the government can/will determine/ensure that the company will be worth that.
2. The U.S. government also holds 10% interest in the tech company, “Intel”.
3. As a result of the government’s deal with U.S. Steel, Trump now has the power to sign off on any salary negotiations that the company conducts with its workers.
As JVL and Sarah Longwell pointed out:
“Trump is literally seizing the means of production....”
....which is the definition/function of socialism.
More examples of “Trumpian Socialism” from JVL’s “Triad”:
Refusing to enforce the 2024 law requiring the sale of TikTok until he was able to compel that the business be sold at an extortionately discounted price to his political allies.
Creating a Golden Share of U.S. Steel for his government.
Requiring Nvidia and AMD to pay the government 15 percent of all revenues from chip sales to China.
Acquiring a 10 percent ownership stake in chipmaker Intel.
Acquiring a 15 percent stake in rare earth producers MP Materials, a 10 percent stake in Lithium Americas Corp., and a 10 percent stake in Trilogy Metals Inc.
Creating a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile.”
Taking steps to create a sovereign wealth fund to be used as a vehicle for government investment.
He has demanded that Microsoft fire an executive he does not like and demanded that private law firms commit to doing pro bono work on behalf of clients he chooses for them.
Aside from the obvious, mind-numbing hypocrisy of MAGA/Republicans who have railed against Socialism for......forever... ...the more important point in all of this: This isn’t about ideology.....this is about psychology. For both Trump....as well as MAGA’s support for “Trumpian Socialism.”
Trump isn’t using the power of the federal government to seize the means of production of private companies because he’s a socialist.
Trump is using the power of the federal government to seize the means of production of private companies because he’s severely Cluster B Personality disordered (sociopathic narcissist). This prevents him from having any sense of separation between himself, and the federal government....
....and it prevents him Trump from being able to separate his personal interests from the interests of the country/Americans.
For example...
When Trump was impeached/indicted, he framed his own existential threats as being “the worst thing that’s ever happened to this country”.
The reality of the situation is that with few exceptions....
....what is good for Trump, is bad for the country....
....and what is bad for Trump, is good for the country.
Regardless of whether it’s Communist, Socialist, or Fascist autocracy... ...in every case, a Cluster B Personality-disordered demagogue manipulates the people, hijacks the government, and then centralizes power in himself. Autocracy is the inevitable destination of sociopathic/psychopathic narcissists.
(For in depth article about Bannon’s populism/Trump’s autocracy, click here)
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When investigative reporting, facts, expertise, insight, and analysis is locked behind paywalls......and disinformation is amplified for free......should we be surprised the country is mired in alternate realities? Lies spread faster than truth. Someone can broadcast ten lies in 60 seconds, but it can take hours to fact check/debunk each one. Another problem: Disinformation/lies are usually amplified for free......while the truth is often locked behind paywalls. I spend countless thousands of unpaid hours producing psychological analysis of American politics. I do not charge fees/paywalls because the information is too important, and everyone needs access to it regardless of financial situation. However, if you find my work adds value to your life, and you can afford to help support the work……I would greatly appreciate it.
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Circling back to “Trumpian Socialism”, there are a couple of things at play. First, in Trump’s mind, there has been a merging between himself...and both the presidency.....and, as a result of the cowardly capitulation of the Republican Congress.....the entire federal government/country. There is no separation. There is no temporary executive office holder or public servant. There is only a psychological merging of the presidency/federal government.....with Trump.
The presidency under Trump is no longer an elected public servant occupying the U.S. Constitution’s Article II Executive Branch of government. Instead, both the executive branch of the government, as well as the the federal government more broadly, now exist only to serve Trump... ....regardless of whether the objective is to enrich Trump.....
...or to satiate Trump’s pathologically disordered need to persecute/prosecute his political enemies:
Anyone who refuses to sycophantically feed his narcissistic grandiosity.....or soothe his pathologically fragile ego/insecurities.
On election night, it was amusing to watch the FOXNews panel decry Zohran Mamdani’s “politics of grievance”...while simultaneously supporting the most grievance-driven politician in American history. The lack of self-awareness....of both themselves....as well as of their political tribe/leader...is mind-numbing.
And second....to the extent that there is a psychological merging between Trump and the federal government....
.....any stake that the federal government strong-arms/extorts from private companies.....is a stake that Trump HAS in those private companies.
And this effect is not only psychological, but it creates real world opportunities for additional corruption.....which by some estimates has netted Trump over $3.4 billion dollars....
....and counting.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/18/the-number
The other component is the psychology of anti-socialist “conservatives”, Republicans, and/or MAGA who support.....or, at the very least, defend....“Trumpian Socialism”. For them, there are a number of factors that may be at play.
First....for many, the support for “Trumpian Socialism” is simply due to their ignorance of economic systems.......and the false belief that if Trump is doing it, then it’s the right thing to do. Especially if it goes against establishment and institutional norms. Many people are ignorantly supporting Trump’s actions without understanding the full long-term effect simply because they only see, or have been manipulated to believe, that there are short-term gains.
Second.....there is also “the horseshoe effect”.....where, as has been seen repeatedly over the last decade (protectionism/tariffs, anti-free speech, foreign policy/military intervention and aid), the Right has become the Left (adopted traditional Left policies/beliefs). It’s just that they are either in denial, or they are oblivious to the fact that in many cases they have become what they have spent decades claiming to despise: Socialists.....or at the very least, they have become willing to defend socialistic actions by Trump.
Third......”Trumpian Socialism” is a pure power play to keep and stay in power. People don’t care about (perceived) “bad” things (socialism) happening. They only care if their political enemies engage in those bad things. If “our” guys are engaging in those bad things, it’s fine....because tribalism......and because it’s a necessary evil to prevent the radical/evil Left from taking power.......because then the Left will engage in those bad things.
And finally.... Trump’s supporter’s are incapable of admitting he’s engaging in egregious actions because they would have to admit mistake. And after a decade of supporting every aspect of Trumpism/MAGA, it would be too psychologically destabilizing to admit they’ve spent the last decade wrongly supporting someone who is destroying the country. And, perhaps more importantly.....it would be too psychologically destabilizing to admit they’ve destroyed relationships with friends and family in order to support someone who is destroying the country.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/43322540
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When investigative reporting, facts, expertise, insight, and analysis is locked behind paywalls......and disinformation is amplified for free......should we be surprised the country is mired in alternate realities? Lies spread faster than truth. Someone can broadcast ten lies in 60 seconds, but it can take hours to fact check/debunk each one. Another problem: Disinformation/lies are usually amplified for free......while the truth is often locked behind paywalls. I spend countless thousands of unpaid hours producing psychological analysis of American politics. I do not charge fees/paywalls because the information is too important, and everyone needs access to it regardless of financial situation. However, if you find my work adds value to your life, and you can afford to help support the work……I would greatly appreciate it.
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