Uploaded August 2020 | Updated September 2026, 12 hours ago
John Dean is co-author of the new book, Authoritarian Nightmare; Trump and His Followers, with Bob Altemeyer. Dean served as White House counsel for president Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973. His Watergate testimony helped lead to Nixon’s resignation. Past books include Worse than Watergate and Conservatives Without Conscience
“Like it or not, authoritarianism is on the ballot this November and to defeat it, we must understand it. “
Pre-interview notes
Why did you write this book and what do you want it to accomplish? Essentially, authoritarianism is…..
Followers
You talk about Authoritarians, Autocrats, Demagogues and dictators. Please parse the differences and similarities for them and their followers.
What’s the difference between Democracy and Autocracy When do demagogues rise?
Authoritarians are usually elected and then they subvert the constitution
There are right and left wing authoritarians? Discuss the connection between Authoritarianism and narcissism. You say “Trump brings out the worst in people.”
I have a theory that the worst plague Trump will bring to the US and the world will be the unleashing and unrestraining of narcissists and psychopaths.
Early Trump story
—authoritarian TV personality
His supporters were “coiled like a tightly wound spring”
The next dictator is already watching Trump, how to do what he’s done even better. Authoritarians: Social Dominator Authoritarians SD and Authoritarian Followers, Double Highs Trump got 71% of white male voters without a college degree Lost jobs, but also feeling of stolen White birthright
How Trump rolled up the social dominators: Racial superiority meant a great deal. Social dominators score high on the conman score, don’t believe in right and wrong… psychopaths?
Unleashing authoritarianism and narcissism AND Psychopaths
Authoritarian Followers
Steven Hassan, The Cult of Trump •
High degree of submission to the perceived, established, legitimate authorities in society • High level of aggression in the name of their authorities • High level of conventionalism, insisting that others follow the norms endorsed by their authorities (Taliban) Right wing authoritarians are not necessarily right wing politically. What about Democrats and lefties?
Right wing authoritarianism Scale (RWA) and Monmouth poll p 128
7 traits • highly compartmentalized thinking how they handle doubts
high vs low RWA
flimsy belief in America’s values—
have only a superficial belief in liberty and democracy •
double standard judgments
believe many conflicting and even contradictory things,
less careful thinking,
more responsive to bombast
Difficulty judging evidence
John Dean is co-author of the new book, Authoritarian Nightmare; Trump and His Followers, with Bob Altemeyer. Dean served as White House counsel for president Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973. His Watergate testimony helped lead to Nixon’s resignation. Past books include Worse than Watergate and Conservatives Without Conscience
“Like it or not, authoritarianism is on the ballot this November and to defeat it, we must understand it. “
Pre-interview notes
Why did you write this book and what do you want it to accomplish? Essentially, authoritarianism is…..
Followers
You talk about Authoritarians, Autocrats, Demagogues and dictators. Please parse the differences and similarities for them and their followers.
What’s the difference between Democracy and Autocracy When do demagogues rise?
Authoritarians are usually elected and then they subvert the constitution
There are right and left wing authoritarians? Discuss the connection between Authoritarianism and narcissism. You say “Trump brings out the worst in people.”
I have a theory that the worst plague Trump will bring to the US and the world will be the unleashing and unrestraining of narcissists and psychopaths.
Early Trump story
—authoritarian TV personality
His supporters were “coiled like a tightly wound spring”
The next dictator is already watching Trump, how to do what he’s done even better. Authoritarians: Social Dominator Authoritarians SD and Authoritarian Followers, Double Highs Trump got 71% of white male voters without a college degree Lost jobs, but also feeling of stolen White birthright
How Trump rolled up the social dominators: Racial superiority meant a great deal. Social dominators score high on the conman score, don’t believe in right and wrong… psychopaths?
Unleashing authoritarianism and narcissism AND Psychopaths
Authoritarian Followers
Steven Hassan, The Cult of Trump •
High degree of submission to the perceived, established, legitimate authorities in society • High level of aggression in the name of their authorities • High level of conventionalism, insisting that others follow the norms endorsed by their authorities (Taliban) Right wing authoritarians are not necessarily right wing politically. What about Democrats and lefties?
Right wing authoritarianism Scale (RWA) and Monmouth poll p 128
7 traits • highly compartmentalized thinking how they handle doubts
high vs low RWA
flimsy belief in America’s values—
have only a superficial belief in liberty and democracy •
double standard judgments
believe many conflicting and even contradictory things,
less careful thinking,
more responsive to bombast
Difficulty judging evidence
