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Cult Deprogrammer: Trump Uses Mind Control Tactics on His Followers
Hassan says friends, family best people to break the spell
Steven Hassan is a former member of the Unification Church (also known as the Moonies, named after the leader of the church, Rev. Sun Myung Moon.) After leaving the Moonie cult, with the help of deprogrammers and his family, he became a mental health professional and cult deprogrammer. Hassan has seen the dangers of the cult of Trump, or Cult 45, as its often called. He laid out some of his fears and ways to help people leave the cult in his book “The Cult of Trump.” Here is my interview with him.
Otiko: When did you see the signs of Trump followers developing into an actual cult?
Hassan: It started in December 2015. I was studying ISIS recruitment online. He said we needed a “total Muslim ban.” I wrote a Huffington Post piece titled “Donald Trump Is ‘Greatest Collaborator’ of ISIS,” Within hours, I was attacked with over 200 negative comments towards me. I thought, “This is really dangerous.”
Otiko: In your book, you mention that social decay, the decline of the family, and economic stress are all factors that make people vulnerable to cults. It seems America has created a perfect storm for cults. Are the numbers increasing?
