For many people, especially those leaning Left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious. Why did so many people vote for Trump again, they wonder, and how did he win not just the Electoral College vote this time but ?

Trump’s critics cite his , at the state and federal levels and as evidence that he is unfit to be president again. Opponents also say that Trump is a , , , a and .

About 78% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independent voters say that when he allegedly tried to overturn the 2020 election results. But of Republicans think he did anything wrong.

I am an , and I have been studying what I call the Trumpiverse since 2015, when and announced his candidacy for president. I later wrote a related book in 2021, called .

More recently, I have been examining toxic polarisation – and ways to stop it. Many efforts to reduce people’s polarised views begin with an injunction: Listen and understand.

To this end, I have attended Trump rallies, populist and nonpartisan events and meetings where Democrats and Republicans connect and talk. Along the way, I have spoken with Trump...