Trump is a cult leader in all but name. His zealots support worldviews that have been made illegal, taboo, obsolete, or otherwise unacceptable, like white supremacy and racism, fascism, theocracy, homo-/transphobia, and mysogyny; they perceive this as an attack against their lifestyles by "the others." They will rally to the loudest voice that speaks out against "the others" and support him as long as that remains true.

Trump cultists are irrational creatures, you can't apply rational expectations and deduce a satisfactory answer.

As an insider, it's even worse. You didn't have to suffer 4 years of continuous clusterfuck and embarrassment only to be topped off by a planned insurrection that they still try to gaslight everyone about.

You're absolutely correct that it would be the end of America.

I'm Canadian and whenever I'm abroad, the locals ask me what the fuck is wrong with Americans. Expecting I'll know better bc we're neighbours.
Which is true, since we're more likely to interact.
All I can reply is, "They're just totally fucked!" It's that simple!

Also, when I meet Americans abroad now, the first thing they do is apologize for America. That's the only Canadian trait that's rubbed off on them.

As an American, neither do I. The man was a national joke for 30+ years, and all it took was a shiny new coat of paint in the form of a reality TV show where they just straight up constantly lied about his wealth and business acumen, for people to literally begin worshipping him.

Watching your loved ones fall into this shit is heartbreaking.

He promises simple solutions with no sacrifice, essentially just "I'll fix it." Certain people love that. Don't care what the solution is, don't care that the problem has been simplified beyond recognition, just fix shit.

I think what Trump's following kind of reveals is a sad truth about humans generally; about a quarter of people are very stupid and very susceptible to cult-think. It doesn't always manifest as support for a politician, it could be anti-vax beliefs, or racism, zionism etc.

Wherever you are, about 25-30% of people are simply not equipped to think critically, and that stupidity is activated or weaponized under various conditions, most often during times of economic stress or social chaos. People who can't understand the complex causes of a problem are easy to manipulate -- you give them a simplistic answer.

"It's the jews" or "trans people are the root of your problems" etc.

It can happen anywhere because a certain demographic of people are just dumb, and there's no way around it other than trying to reduce human suffering across the board and making it less likely that anyone is struggling.

I think if Trumps plan plays out and if If Project 2025 is enacted it will likely have more than an effect on the US, it will likely have profound effects on the world. It will change geopolitics and economies through shifts in alliances, trade dynamics, nationalistic sentiments, and domestic economic policies.

Thinking it through, it'll probably move towards an increasingly complex global landscape, overshadowed by uncertainty and potential conflicts.

People who vote for Trump have been brainwashed by Fox News. It really is as simple as that.