Manifest Destiny–Maga syndrome

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'Never going away': what Arpaio's primary loss could tell us about Trump's future
The former sheriff lost his job amid outrage over abusive tactics, but he has repeatedly sought a return to power

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...n-donald-trump

The similarities between Arpaio and Trump prompted activists here to brand Trump as the “national Arpaio” and the “mega Arpaio”.

Both Trump and Arpaio have latched on to strong authoritarian figures (Trump to Putin, Arpaio to Trump). They have both embraced and promoted baseless conspiracy theories, including one that aimed to delegitimize the nation’s only Black president. They have both persecuted and hunted unauthorized immigrants to please a xenophobic base of white voters. They are both hungry for media coverage yet dub even mildly critical stories “fake news”. And they both bristle when reporters point out allegations of their shoddy leadership.

Should Trump lose the election, some predict he – like Arpaio – will retreat to the far-right fringe of the Republican party – only to become reinvigorated and re-emerge from time to time in a bid for electoral legitimacy, relying on a base of racist voters for a Hail Mary victory, activists say.

Salvador Reza, a longtime neighborhood organizer in Phoenix, calls it the “Manifest Destiny-Maga syndrome”.

“That’s what got Trump elected and that is what gives Arpaio his following too,” Reza said.

... and we have several infected with this illness, right here on these forums ...