Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
The Two Psychological Tricks Trump Is Using to Get Away With Everything
Opinion
By Opinion
Published 5 years ago on
October 8, 2019

Share

[aggregation-styles]

Subscription

Last Thursday, Donald Trump said something that, on its face, seemed inexplicably self-defeating. Already under attack for having asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, he publicly asked China to do the same. This time there was no whistle-blower forcing Trump’s hand. Having already transgressed the once-sacrosanct principle that foreign powers shouldn’t meddle in American elections, Trump—for no apparent reason—brazenly violated it again.
And yet, Trump’s China remarks don’t appear to have hurt him much. The majority of Republican voters and politicians still oppose his impeachment. His China comments may even prove politically shrewd. Research into the psychology of secrecy and confidence helps explain why.
In January 2016, Trump infamously declared, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.” The statement was widely interpreted as a commentary on the loyalty of Trump’s voters. But it can also be understood as a commentary on the value of brazenness—of acting publicly rather than furtively and confidently rather than bashfully. It’s a value academics have confirmed time and again.

Read More →

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts. Are They Cost-Effective?

DON'T MISS

California’s Housing Crisis Has Gotten Worse, Not Better, Over the Last 30 Years

DON'T MISS

No. 10 Boise State Grabs CFP Spot, Beating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 in Mountain West Championship

DON'T MISS

Willy Adames Agrees to $182 Million, 7-Year Deal With the Giants, AP Source Says

DON'T MISS

$197M Winning Lottery Ticket Bought in L.A. Must Be Postmarked Today or Forfeited

DON'T MISS

US Announces Nearly $1 Billion More in Longer-Term Weapons Support for Ukraine

DON'T MISS

Police-Made Crack Cocaine Cases from 1980s Under Review in Florida

DON'T MISS

FBI Offers $50,000 Reward in Hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Killer

DON'T MISS

Syrian Insurgents Reach the Capital’s Suburbs. Worried Residents Flee and Stock Up on Supplies

DON'T MISS

Trump, Macron, and Zelenskyy Hold Surprise Three-Way Meeting in Paris

UP NEXT

Rise of the Anti-“Woke” Democrat

UP NEXT

High-Level Saudi Visit Follows Multimillion-Dollar Foreign Influence Operation

UP NEXT

Iran and Russia Move to Fill Diplomatic Vacuum in Afghanistan

UP NEXT

Pelosi’s Husband Locked In $5.3 Million From Alphabet Options

UP NEXT

Experts Reportedly See Major Damage in Attack on Iran Centrifuge Plant

UP NEXT

Opinion: School Choice Marches Ahead

UP NEXT

Zakaria: Americans Care About History Because the Stakes Are High

UP NEXT

California Democrats Are Reliably Pro-Labor. But One Union Is Testing Their Patience.

UP NEXT

The Tightrope Walk Democrats Have Ahead on Two Separate Infrastructure Bills

UP NEXT

Bill Barr on Trump’s Election Fraud Claims: “It Was All Bullsh*t”

Willy Adames Agrees to $182 Million, 7-Year Deal With the Giants, AP Source Says

13 hours ago

$197M Winning Lottery Ticket Bought in L.A. Must Be Postmarked Today or Forfeited

14 hours ago

US Announces Nearly $1 Billion More in Longer-Term Weapons Support for Ukraine

15 hours ago

Police-Made Crack Cocaine Cases from 1980s Under Review in Florida

16 hours ago

FBI Offers $50,000 Reward in Hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Killer

17 hours ago

Syrian Insurgents Reach the Capital’s Suburbs. Worried Residents Flee and Stock Up on Supplies

17 hours ago

Trump, Macron, and Zelenskyy Hold Surprise Three-Way Meeting in Paris

19 hours ago

Roman, Herbert Try to Get Chargers’ Offense Back on Track for Game at KC

23 hours ago

Love Bulldogs? Chewie Seeks a Loving Home for Snuggles

23 hours ago

Raising Resilient Kids: 10 Powerful Phrases for Mental Strength

23 hours ago

Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts. Are They Cost-Effective?

Diane Moss lost her home in the Santa Monica Mountains after power lines ignited the apocalyptic Woolsey Fire in 2018. Since then, she’...

31 minutes ago

31 minutes ago

Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts. Are They Cost-Effective?

43 minutes ago

California’s Housing Crisis Has Gotten Worse, Not Better, Over the Last 30 Years

13 hours ago

No. 10 Boise State Grabs CFP Spot, Beating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 in Mountain West Championship

13 hours ago

Willy Adames Agrees to $182 Million, 7-Year Deal With the Giants, AP Source Says

14 hours ago

$197M Winning Lottery Ticket Bought in L.A. Must Be Postmarked Today or Forfeited

15 hours ago

US Announces Nearly $1 Billion More in Longer-Term Weapons Support for Ukraine

16 hours ago

Police-Made Crack Cocaine Cases from 1980s Under Review in Florida

17 hours ago

FBI Offers $50,000 Reward in Hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Killer

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend