Trump and the Cult of Bigness

By Claire Hoffman
As someone who grew up in a cult-like community dedicated to the teachings of a charismatic guru, I have, lately, been watching Donald Trump and getting goosebumps. With charismatic religious leaders, I have the same test that Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart used with obscenity: “I know it when I see it.” It was hard not to see it at the Pennsylvania town hall in mid-October, when Trump had a crowd watch him listen to his favorite songs for 30 minutes. This behavior spoke to a very particular symbiosis taking place between the crowd and Trump—him doing anything he wanted…