Trump as Messianic Prophet (w/ Manvir Singh) [TEASER]
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May 22, 2025
This discussion dives into the intriguing connections between Trump's allure and ancient mythologies. Manvir Singh examines how the fervor around Trump mirrors longstanding archetypes, such as shaman and witch. He explores how modern movements like QAnon echo these historical narratives, revealing a desire for a promised restoration. The conversation uncovers the complexities of faith, communication, and deep-rooted cultural beliefs that shape contemporary political landscapes.
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Studying Witchcraft Narratives
Manvir Singh studied witchcraft mythology during his PhD across societies.
He noticed witch narratives often involve immoral acts and grave threats, matching QAnon's stories.
insights INSIGHT
Trump as Modern Messiah Myth
The Trumpian myth parallels ancient messiah vs witch stories globally.
Messiah and cabal narratives co-evolve, promising to restore a golden past by vanquishing evil.
insights INSIGHT
Messiah Promises Paradise Return
Messianic promises often include restoring an idealized past.
This restoration involves removing evil forces and reconnecting with ancestors.
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In a recent New Yorkeressay, our guest, UC Davis anthropologist Manvir Singh, argues, "The Trumpian mystique echoes a dynamic that has occurred for centuries and across cultures. Its core ingredients—an alleged league of pedophiles, a godlike miracle worker, promises of an Edenic restoration—resemble archetypes that have long occupied humanity’s imagination. Trump’s followers may communicate through memes and message boards, but their faith belongs to a much older mythology: the eternal face-off between shaman and witch, prophet and cabal."
In this conversation, Manvir, the author of a new book on "Shamanism," compellingly demonstrates how the MAGA movement — especially in its QAnon-inflected guises — manifests archetypal features of the messianic cult, analogues for which can be found across cultures and historical epochs. On KYE, we haven't often indulged in this sort of critique, for (justifiable) fear of eliding the very specific political conditions that gave rise to Trumpism, but for today: we're going for it! And Manvir was an ideal (and suitably careful) guide to this methodology and way of thinking about our political conjecture.