Cult leaders are usually young, virile, eloquent and handsome men who project power and authority and every smooth word they utter is accepted as Gospel by their followers.

Donald Trump is neither young nor virile and his face with a bulbous nose, sphincter-shaped mouth and orange complexion is repulsive and frightening but every incoherent and nonsensical statement that he utters is accepted as Gospel by his white evangelical sycophants.

Having a cult leader as commander-in-chief during a time of peace and prosperity was unnerving and unsettling, but having Trump in charge during a pandemic is absolutely horrifying.

Trump followers are effectively cult members and they won’t be swayed from supporting their Dear Leader for any reason. Before they became MAGA nutjobs white evangelicals were already conditioned to accept the ranting and ravings of televangelists as the Gospel, therefore it’s not surprising that they accept everything their false Messiah says as Gospel regardless how fantastical and incoherent his comments may appear to a normal person.

During a crisis cult members depend upon and trust their cult leader more than ever, and they are willing to open the economy at the urging of their leader in the middle of a pandemic. They are more than willing to sacrifice the elderly and other vulnerable citizens in order to save the economy and help the reelection prospects of their Messiah.

For Trump cultists what’s good for Trump is good for the country and if you challenge his medically unsound policies you are fighting against God.

It’s clear that we are fighting the coronavirus as well as the more insidious infection of Trumpism. Things will not return to any semblance of normalcy until with defeat Trumpism and COVID-19