When Evangelical Trumpism Looks a Lot Like Mental Illness
It makes the absurdity of the movement much easier to forgive
I was raised by an aunt clinically diagnosed with schizophrenia — a woman I owe my life to. After twenty years of being a hopeless bystander to the ravages of mental illness, words like “crazy,” “insane,” or “lunatic” that easily roll off the tongue in this baffling political climate ring a bit differently. They’re not just a passing mockery or a logical way to make sense of what’s defied logic for four years. Commentaries alluding to Trumpism as mental illness leave me…conflicted.
Political podcast host David Pakman described the viral video of Paula White’s prayer for Trump’s election victory as “indicative of severe, untreated, maybe even undiagnosed mental illness.” In a sermon following the election results, Kenneth Copeland directed his megachurch to — what’s described as maniacally — laugh at the media’s declaration of Biden’s win. Another video of pastor George Pearsons flipping a table to illustrate God flipping the election hints at an unhinged community.
On the one hand, it’s reckless. Equating Trumpsim to mental illness fuels the relentless stigma. On the other hand, I get it. Watching Evangelical Trumpism unfold post-election feels like time traveling back to my ten-year-old self…
