Trump’s die-hard support may be explained by one of his most misunderstood character traits – ‘charisma’

Former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally in Johnstown, Pa., on Aug. 30, 2024. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images by Michael Scott Bryant, Bryant University Of all the questions confronting voters in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, few are as puzzling as the seemingly unwavering support for a political candidate deeply mired in embarrassing sex scandals and criminal business practices. Such is the case with Donald Trump, whose behavior would have sunk the campaigns of most U.S. presidential candidates. In the 1980s, for example, Democrat Gary Hart’s presidential ambitions went to ground over allegations of extramarital affairs on a boat aptly named “Monkey Business.” Over the past 20 years, two New York governors, Andrew Cuomo and Eliot Spitzer, both Democrats, resigned over charges of sexual misconduct. Democrat Al Franken’s career in the Senate was scuttled over charges of indiscretions during a USO tour. But Trump’s convictions of financial fraud and being found culpable for sexual misconduct have not dampened the enthusiasm of supporters of Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement. Part of the reason may be explained by Max Weber, an early 20th century German sociologist and social theorist. At the center of Weber’s thinking...