The Cult of Trump: Authoritarianism in Modern American Politics

Trump & Co

Across history, authoritarian leaders have shared a familiar playbook: demand unwavering loyalty, suppress dissent, rewrite facts, and construct a carefully curated public image of strength and infallibility. Observing the political movement surrounding Donald Trump, it’s increasingly hard to ignore the parallels with the dynamics of dictatorship—and even those of a cult.

Authoritarian regimes, from Stalin’s Soviet Union to Kim Jong-un’s North Korea, rely on visible and performative loyalty. Leaders surround themselves with advisers too afraid to speak honestly, lest they lose their position—or more. Trump’s presidency has shown a remarkably similar pattern. Dissent within his inner circle has routinely led to public denunciation, career destruction, or social ostracism. High-ranking officials who dared to criticise or contradict him, found themselves dismissed and vilified.

Just as dictators depend on mouthpieces to amplify the party line (Karoline Leavitt springs to mind), Trump has cultivated an ecosystem of loyal surrogates and media allies who relentlessly echo his talking points. This machine doesn’t tolerate deviation. Any Republican politician expressing even moderate criticism of Trump quickly risks being labelled a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) and targeted for primary challenges, social media abuse, or outright political excommunication.

Perhaps most striking is the emotional fervour Trump elicits from his most devoted followers. His rallies, branding, and messaging have often taken on the tone and symbolism of a movement greater than politics—a personality cult. In this space, facts matter less than belief. Even after multiple criminal indictments, public lies, and efforts to overturn the democratic process, large segments of his base remain unwavering, convinced that Trump alone speaks truth in a world of enemies and conspiracies.

Authoritarianism often hinges on undermining institutional checks and balances. Trump’s open attacks on the judiciary, the press, the intelligence services, and even the democratic process itself (especially following the 2020 election) echo the behaviour of leaders who seek to erode public trust in anything not under their direct control. His refusal to accept election results marked an unprecedented challenge to American democratic norms.

While Trump does not (and cannot) wield the full control of a dictator in the constitutional framework of the United States, the movement he leads exhibits many of the hallmarks of authoritarianism: a singular strongman leader, fear-based loyalty, truth distortion, cult-like devotion, and the undermining of democratic processes.

The warning signs are not historical abstractions; they are unfolding now. Democracies do not collapse overnight, but they can erode steadily under the weight of charismatic authoritarian populism. It is essential to recognise these patterns—not just for political debate, but for the defence of democratic principles themselves.

Taming the Cable Chaos

Like many people, I had accumulated far too many charging cables and power adaptors over the years. Drawers were crammed with outdated connectors, duplicate chargers, and cables of every shape and size—many of them long obsolete. Eventually, I’d had enough. I decided it was time to bring some order to the chaos. The results have been transformative.

The first step was a thorough purge. I disposed of old chargers, duplicate cables, and anything I couldn’t immediately identify. All of these were taken to the “small electricals” section at our local recycling centre—an environmentally responsible way to say goodbye to tech clutter. Letting go of these items was surprisingly satisfying and a great way to reclaim space.

Brother E560BT

With the clutter cleared, I turned to organisation. I invested in a Brother E560BT label maker—a professional-grade machine that’s probably overkill for home use, but it’s a fantastic piece of kit and has proven invaluable. I used it to label every cable and charger in one of two ways:

• Flag labels for cables that might be swapped or used in different locations
• Wrap-around labels for cables that stay in one place or are used frequently

Labelling has made it easy to identify cables at a glance, especially when travelling or repacking. No more mystery wires or unnecessary guesswork.

Lamicall Cable Wraps

To keep cables tidy, I standardised on Lamicall silicone cable ties, which work well across various cable thicknesses. I’d grown frustrated with Velcro wraps—useful at first, but prone to sticking together and creating a new kind of mess. Silicone ties avoid this problem and are easier to manage. Those with silicone allergies should, of course, choose an alternative.

Really Useful Box

All of my labelled and wrapped cables are now stored neatly in a 3-litre “Really Useful Box”. The box is organised by frequency of use: less commonly used cables at the bottom, most frequently used ones on top. This simple system means I always know where to look and what’s available.

One of the best outcomes has been how easy it is to pack for travel. Whether we’re heading away in the motorhome or on a house sit, I can quickly grab just the cables we need. Everything goes back in the box when we return, keeping the system intact.

This method has not only reduced clutter—it has also saved me time, stress, and frustration. I now know exactly what I have, where it is, and which cables are worth keeping. It’s a small but meaningful step toward a more streamlined and less wasteful tech life. If you’re struggling with your own cable chaos, I highly recommend giving this approach a try. It really has been worth it.

Cookson Of Meldon

Isaac Cookson of Meldon (1776-1851)

Isaac Cookson, third son of Isaac Cookson (1745-1831) of Whitehill, married at Alnwick 17 January 1805 Jane, daughter of Edward Cook of Togston, par. Warkworth, Northumberland. In the middle of the 17th century the family of Cook had acquired the estate of Amble New-hall and lands in Togston by marriage.

John Cook (d. 1763) of Togston had a younger brother, Edward, who in 1760, having entered into partnership with his brother-in-law, William Otley of Warkworth, and Joseph Baron to trade under the business name of Otley, Cook and Baron at Baltimore, Maryland. Cook took with him to America a pointer dog, which he lost one day while shooting in the woods near Baltimore. Some time afterwards his brother, John, who was still living at Togston, was awakened at hearing a dog in the night. It was admitted into the house and found to be the same his brother had taken with him to America. The dog lived until his master returned home, when they mutually recognised each other. They were never able to trace by what vessel the dog had left America or in what part of England it had been landed.

Preserved amongst the Cookson of Meldon’s family papers is an interesting group of ten letters written by Edward Cook in Baltimore to his brother, John, at Togston describing the state of agriculture in Maryland with a letter of advice from John. There are also surviving some trading accounts for 1760 but the merchandise is not specified. In 1772 the partnership in Baltimore was dissolved, Otley owing Edward Cook £700. Cook and Otley owned jointly a tract of land called Eslington Northstead and Buck Range, about 1,400 acres, seven miles from Baltimore; this was divided between them on 11 July 1772. Otley died in the following December and his widow and sister sold their share of the land to Cook to pay the debt due to him. At the outbreak of war Edward Cook’s land was confiscated.

John Cook died 5 February 1763 and his son, Edward Cook, went to America in 1786 in an unsuccessful attempt to recover the land. Edward Cook died intestate in November 1786 leaving an infant daughter, Jane, then only three years old. This Jane was her father’s heiress and became wife of Isaac Cookson. Between 1806 and 1812, and again in 1821, Isaac made great efforts to recover the American lands, but the attempts failed. The Chancellor of the State of Maryland set aside the claim on the grounds that the lands had been legally purchased during the War of Independence.

Isaac Cookson sold his wife’s property at Togston in 1832 and Amble New Hall in 1833. About this time he was living at Gateshead Park House. Somewhat later he purchased the estate of Meldon Park, which until recently was still owned by his descendants.

In 1826 a bye-election became necessary in Northumberland owing to the death of Charles John Brandling, the sitting Member of Parliament. The contending candidates for the vacancy were Matthew Bell of Woolsington and the hon. H. T. Liddell of Eslington. Isaac Cookson, junior, esquire, of Gateshead Park voted in respect of his freehold at Togston, his vote being given for Liddell. His brother, Christopher Cookson, was Mr. Liddell’s legal counsel for the election.

Isaac Cookson purchased the farm of Quarry House, Westgate, on the western outskirts of Newcastle, and in 1827 laid out John Street, Edward Street, William Street and Arthur’s Hill, naming them after four of his sons. This early building development may have been carried out entirely for financial reasons, but there may also have been political considerations. The creation of small independant leaseholds or freeholds was a good way of obtaining parliamentary votes and these could easily be directed according to the wishes of the ground landlord.

Isaac Cookson was sheriff of Northumberland in 1838 and died 8 October 1851. He had twelve children whose dates of birth are recorded on a memorandum amongst the Cookson family papers as:

1. Elizabeth; b. 11 May 1806; (she d. unm. 5 October 1879)
2. Isaac; b. 26 June 1807; d. of small-pox 19 December 1807
3. John; b. 11 September 1808; (he was living at Benwell House in 1838 but was later of Meldon Park; for his descendants see the pedigree)
4. Edward; b. 12 January 1810; bap. St. Nicholas (11 April 1810) being born in the Mansion House (whilst his father was mayor)
5. Emma Donna; b. 13 February 1811; (m. Gateshead parish church 31 August 1836 rev. Joint Shadwell)
6. William Isaac; b. 10 May 1812; (of whom more later)
7. Arthur James; b. Forest Hall 24 August 1813; (d. at sea 14 July 1841)
8. Isaac; b. Forest Hall 11 July 1817; d. 25 December 1817 “of inflimation on the Lungs”
9. Fanny Isabella; b. in Westgate Street 21 November 1819; d. 10 March 1835; bur. Meldon
10. Sarah Jane; b. Gateshead Park 15 January 1821; (m. firstly 12 September 1839 Sidney Robert Streatfield, major 52nd Regt; m. secondly 5 August 1852 capt. Henry Francis Cockayne Cust)
11. Mary (twin with Sarah Jane; m. Meldon 10 June 1840 William Cuthbert of Beaufront Castle)
12. Emily Lutwidge; b. Gateshead Park 9 January 1825; (m. firstly Maximilian, count Lerchewfeld; m. secondly Marcus Lowther, rear admiral R.N.)

William Isaac Cookson (1812-1888), fourth son of Isaac Cookson (d. 1851) by his wife, Jane Cook, was living at 6 Eldon Square, Newcastle, in 1838, but later moved to Benwell Tower. In 1856 he purchased lead works at Willington, Northumberland, from the Howden Smelting Company, and these works are still carried on by his descendants.

William Isaac Cookson married firstly, 16 July 1839, Jane Anne, daughter of William Cuthbert of Beaufront Castle. The sons of this marriage were William Bryan Cookson (1841-1859), Norman Charles Cookson (1841-1909), George John Cookson (1845-1913), Freville Cookson (1851-1909) and Henry Theodore Cookson (1859-1920).

The eldest son was named Bryan on account of the mistaken belief that the Cooksons of Whitehill were descended from a family of the same name living at Settle, Yorks., and later at Leeds. These Yorkshire Cooksons were said to have had the same paternal inheritance for upwards of 300 years, by the alternate names of Brian and Robert.

William Bryan Cookson was drowned in the Isis 31 October 1859 at the age of 18. The descendants of his brothers are shown in the pedigree. After the death of his first wife on 10 February 1862, William Isaac Cookson married 13 February 1866 Emma Marian, daughter of the rev. Charles Wingfield. By her he had another son, his sixth, William Reginald Cookson (1866-1905), and two daughters. (See pedigree).

William Isaac Cookson died 1 November 1888.