Mass Movement In Eric Hoffer's The True Believer

Mass movements have been around for quite a while now and come in various forms, but one in recent years that stands out is the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. Whether or not one supports Trump or not, it is hard to deny that he managed to sum up many people on his side to pull off the win in the 2016 presidential election. How he did it is the most important question we should be asking. The answer may have many implications in terms of predicting the outcome of trumps presidency, the faith that his supporters will retain, and how other presidential candidates use mass movements to their advantage. By examining Trump’s campaign and analyzing general ideas about mass movement provided in Eric Hoffer’s, The True Believer, we can understand

It calls back to a time in which America was at its best. The past and future become linked leaving the present seem like a stepping stone to get America back on the right track. It was very important that Trump glorified each of these because, “unless joined with sanguine expectations of the future, an exaggerated view of the past results in an attitude of caution and not in the reckless strivings of a mass movement” (Hoffer 71). This “better future” is a painted picture of the past that appears greater than it truly was. Each era throughout history went through at least some sort of troublesome time and no era was safe from difficult journeys. The slogan never specified which era in time it was referring to bringing the country back to “again” (Goldhill). This makes it so that everyone can visualize their own ideal America in their heads instead of speaking of this specific time, which keeps everyone thinking of their ideal paradise for everyone to aspire while still unifying people for a “better future”. The two combined leave people less skeptical of Trump and make them believe the he is that bridge between the past and the

In the section where Hoffer talks about the hatred in mass movements he mentions that, “mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil” (Hoffer 91). This implies that mass movements always have something to vent their frustrations on whether that be a person, place, or thing. In the case of Trumps movement this could be a few things, but one of the biggest ones would have to be the illegal immigrants within the United States. The reason that they are viewed as the “devil” in Trumps movement is because he has convinced people that the jobs of Americans are being taken by illegal immigrants. Trump has even said things like illegal immigrants are criminals, bring drugs into the country, and has even said that some are rapists (The New York Times). This statement makes it easier for people to rally behind trump because it dehumanizes the “enemy”, making it evident the blame is to be focused on them. By putting the blame on a particular group of people for bad economic times, it creates an “us versus them” mentality that appeals to nationalism. These patriotic feelings are very important when it comes to luring in potential converts because, “the less justified a man is in claiming excellence for his own self, the more ready is he to claim all excellence for his nation…” (Hoffer 14).