RETRIBUTION
Donald Trump has consistently and aggressively pursued retribution against perceived enemies through public threats, legal investigations, and administrative actions. He Trump employs intimidation tactics, such as threatening federal investigations, sanctions, or funding cuts to Democratic-led cities and states. Here is a short list of his targets:
Trump campaigned explicitly on vengeance, declaring “I am your retribution” in 2023 speeches and framing revenge as “justified” Supporters like Steve Bannon view these as accountability, while critics compare it to Nixon-era tactics, marking a departure from social, civil and biblical norms. The White House frames actions as policy corrections, not revenge. He justifies revenge against “bad,” “evil,” and “sick” political opponents who spied on his campaign, pursued indictments, or challenged election claims. He rejects critics’ objections by claiming, typically without factual evidence, that opponents are wrong and unity of the MAGA community requires stopping their destructiveness.
Trump’s followers affirm his retribution efforts by framing them as essential accountability against the corrupt “deep state” weaponized justice system, and political betrayers. They express their approval through public endorsements, rallies, and social media.
Another way that Trump’s followers affirm his retribution efforts is by rejoicing in the punishment he imposes on political and social outgroups. The psychological term that describes their responses to punishment — including retribution — is “partisan schadenfreude.”
Partisan schadenfreude is predicted by evidence of several psychological traits including the following:
Because most people, including Trump’s supporters are ignorant of these psychological traits in Trump, they are unable to recognize them in themselves, in Trump, in Trump’s loyalists in congress, or in their families, friends and coworkers. But, who knows, perhaps if they were exposed to brief, repetitive descriptions of these traits while doomscrolling through social media, they might relax their defenses and find truth that they can apply to their lives. It is a long shot, but in a divisive, partisan, social/political environment like America, this strategy may be the only option.