Protest and Politics

Two new biographies enhance our knowledge of John Lewis, the late congressman and civil rights hero
By Jason Sokol

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…