The movement has also gotten a boost from Donald Trump being uniquely equipped, among political figures, to not only present this narrative to people, but also personally embody their plight. For Trump, taking the family business from the outer boroughs of New York City into the big leagues of Manhattan was a nervy move that the entrenched elites of the real estate business refused to accept.   No matter how much Trump achieved, he was always subject to disdainful snickers from people higher up on the social ladder.

In fairness, it seems likely that, at least to some degree, the established powers of the Manhattan real estate world did look down on him simply because his pedigree wasn’t up to their own exalted levels, or he wasn’t sufficiently attuned to the subtleties and nuances of their in-group folkways and social mores.   But it seems no less likely that their dislike of him was also based on his long history of behavior that would be considered bad just about anywhere.

What Donald Trump’s more ardent followers tend to see in him, though, is essentially themselves writ large.   In their eyes, he’s abundantly worthy of respect for his business successes, yet even he is subject to the kinds of put-downs and snubs they themselves feel.   Fortunately, though, he has the wealth and power to effectively fight back—and he does so again and again, in their eyes, nobly suffering on their behalf in a manner that is (appallingly) cast as reminiscent of Christ on the cross.  

And of course, Trump does nothing to dispel this borderline blasphemy.  To the contrary, he tells his followers that “they” (apparently meaning the so-called “deep state”) “are really coming after you. I just happen to be in the way.”