Support for Donald Trump is linked to darker personality traits, including increased psychopathy and decreased empathy, new research finds. The study also connects conservative political beliefs to lower benevolence, suggesting personality may shape how people engage with politics and ideology.
No way.
Doing the blanket psycho-analysis on “Voters of Party X” is great content but miserable politics. You end up with this weird inversion, wherein “being angry” gets coded as “Trump supporter”. And that leads to talking-head pundits accusing college protesters, angry constituents, and anyone unhappy with their sitting elected rep of being “MAGA”, regardless of their actual political beliefs.
No, those talking heads were going to do it anyways. You’re making the mistake of assuming they’re honest actors that need studies like this to give them ideas.
Only when their anger aligns with major political policies of the current regime. No one is looking at someone belligerently pissed off at trans exclusion or lack of action on climate change and saying “Heh, Trump voters, ammirite!?” Yes, someone who is pissed off at gun control laws is not necessarily a Trump supporter, but if that is their main platform of concern that gets them riled up, barring any other context, it’s not unusual to put them in that camp. Nor is it ultimately all that harmful, as far as I can see, to do that even if turns out to be innacurate.
I’m a liberal gun nut, but I’m not voting GOP to retain those rights. Not going in the MAGA box over a single issue.
But you’re spot on!