by Bandy X. Lee
First published 2020
Psychiatrist Bandy Lee examines why Donald Trump maintains such powerful influence over his followers despite scandals, policy failures, and the January 6th insurrection. Lee, who previously authored a New York Times bestseller about Trump's mental health, shifts focus from the former president to his supporters and the broader American society that enabled his rise. She combines CIA profiling techniques with public health methods to explain the psychological dynamics behind Trump's hold on millions of Americans. Writing during summer 2020, Lee correctly predicted Trump would refuse to concede defeat and declare the election fraudulent. Drawing on two decades treating violent offenders and advising governments on violence prevention, she warns that silencing mental health professionals and intellectuals signals emerging tyranny. The book offers concrete recommendations for citizens seeking to heal national divisions and prevent future authoritarian threats.
Genres: american, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary, unreliable-narrator
Setting: United States
Period: 2020
168 pages · Paperback · World Mental Health Coalition
Content warnings: mental-illness, violence