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BIDDEFORD, Maine

David Smith quoted in ‘Quartz’ article on the psychology of Trump supporters

David Livingstone Smith
David Livingstone Smith

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, was quoted in an article for Quartz, a digital news outlet. The article, titled “Inside the Trump machine: the bizarre psychology of America’s newest political movement,” investigates how Trump has gained great popularity despite defying the rules of electoral politics and civil discourse.

As Smith notes, “The interesting thing about Trump is although he is very rich, people feel a kind of class kinship with him—in other words, he’s not an elite. He speaks in a way that resonates with a certain sort of person.”

Smith continues, stating “There are certain things he can say that everyone really believes that the other politicians can’t say—for instance ‘I played the game, I gave money to these politicians to get them to do what I want.’” He explains that “None of the other politicians can say that. I think that really resonates. They feel something profoundly authentic about Trump.”

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