Why did trump supporters think that they would be able to storm the Capitol and no consequences would befall them?
Delusion.
When Charles Manson had his groupies commit a string of murders, he believed, he sincerely and honestly believed, it would start a race war that would totally change American society.
When Tim McVeigh bombed the Oklahoma City federal building, he believed, he sincerely and honestly believed, it would bring about a revolution that would cause all the Federal ATF officers to, in his exact words, “swing in the wind” for their “treasonous actions against the Constitution.”
When Scott Roeder murdered women’s health doctor George Tiller in 2009, he believed, he sincerely and honestly believed, it would spark God’s judgment to, quote, “sweep over this land like a prairie wind.”
When Robert Lewis Dear went on a rampage at a Planned Parenthood in 2015, killing three people and injuring nine more, he believed, he sincerely and honestly believed, it would bring about the End Times and cause all the sinners to be swept into Hell.
When Trump’s Chumps stormed the Capitol, they believed, they sincerely and honestly believed, it would bring about the end of the Deep State and allow Trump to remain President.
Most cases of delusion are limited: Charles Manson had a handful of followers, Tim McVeigh had four followers, the others were lone nutters.
But Donald Trump has managed to create mass delusion through his cult of personality.
It’s still a delusion. Trump’s followers are delusional. They live in a world of alternative facts, totally unconnected to reality. They sincerely believe the inane rubbish they spout on Gab and Parler and here on Quora. They truly believe that Trump is the Second Coming, that he is sent by Jesus, and that he will bring about a whole new society.
I cannot stress this enough. These people sincerely believe this. They sincerely believe that Hillary Clinton kills babies and drinks their blood. They sincerely believe that Democrats in league with Adolf Hitler’s secret granddaughter are running a child sex trafficking ring from the basement of a pizza shop in DC that has no basement.
It can be hard for a psychologically normal person to wrap their head around, but these aren’t goofy entertainment that people pretend to pay attention to with a “nudge nudge wink wink yeah we know this is silly.”
They.
Sincerely.
Believe.
It.
Just like you or I believe the sun will rise in the east.
And the thing about delusion is it’s inaccessible to evidence. Charles Manson died thinking his race war would happen Any Day Now.
Trump’s supporters sincerely believed that their actions would bring about the overthrow of the government and allow Trump to remain in office.
Delusion. They’re delusional. You have to remember these are people who can look at two photographs, Trump’s inauguration and Obama’s inauguration, and honestly, truly believe there are more people in this picture:
Than there are in this picture:
Delusion.