Hillary Clinton’s assessment that many supporters of former President Trump needed to be “deprogrammed” raised eyebrows last week and divided onlookers about the meaning behind her sharp words.
Are partisans today capable of truly having their mind changed? And is suggesting they’re mindless robots persuasive?
“Academics have long studied whether political persuasion is possible,” Arizona State political scientist Matthew Dempsey told Fox News Digital. “The short answer is that it is very, very difficult to get citizens to have long-term attitude or belief change. And now, in the age of ‘fake news’ and distrusted information sources, it’s even more difficult to expose citizens ‘to the facts,’ to have that information be believed, and potentially then be open to opinion change.”
Clinton made the remarks in a CNN interview last week, telling anchor Christiane Amanpour, “Sadly, so many of those extremists, those MAGA extremists take their marching orders from Donald Trump, who has no credibility left by any measure. He’s only in it for himself. He’s now defending himself in civil actions and criminal actions. And when do they break with him?”
HILLARY CLINTON WARNS TRUMP HAS A ‘CULT’ OF SUPPORT, CALLS 2016 ELECTION ‘PRETTY TRAUMATIC’
Communications experts weighed in on Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent statements that there should be a “formal deprogramming” of Trump supporters. (Screenshot/CNN)
“Because at some point, you know, maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members, but something needs to happen,” she added.
Clinton’s words this week were reminiscent of her 2016 Democratic presidential campaign remarks about half of Trump’s supporters belonging in a “basket of deplorables.”
Dempsey said Clinton may have a point about the level of devotion in some corners to Trump, who enjoys a huge lead in the 2024 Republican primary as he tries to recapture the White House.
“Clinton’s language is interesting,” he said. “The more appropriate word would have been ‘education’ rather than ‘deprogramming’… Nonetheless, we do see some Trump supporters exhibiting behavior that is out of step with how previous supporters of presidents have behaved; for example, the golden statue of Trump erected at CPAC, Trump himself claiming ‘I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters,’ not to mention the events of January 6… So, all of this is to say that we don’t typically see the type of devotion to a president that we see with Donald Trump.”
Others said Clinton’s comments didn’t help the country or herself.
“How did calling Trump followers ‘deplorable’ work out for Ms. Clinton’s presidential candidacy?” communications expert Robbie Vorhaus told Fox News Digital. “Implying that Trump followers need to be ‘deprogrammed’ is a clickbait ploy, knowing this rhetoric never does any good. Ms. Clinton should consider winning hearts and minds through kindness, diplomacy, and cooperation.”
In another recent interview, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told MSNBC host Jen Psaki that former President Trump engages in “projection.” (Screenshot/Jen Psaki Twitter account)
If Clinton’s goal was to arouse conservative anger, she succeeded, as evidenced by the disturbed reactions of many prominent right-leaning figures online.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., posted to X, “Hillary Clinton wants Trump supporters to be formally reeducated. Does she know that this is America and not a Communist regime?”
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., called Clinton’s remarks “unhinged behavior.” The Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway warned, “Authoritarianism watch. Former Democrat nominee for President calls for re-education of political opponents.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., remarked, “Hillary says the quiet part out loud – and reveals the Left’s true agenda. Use government to crush any opposition. Pure authoritarianism.”
Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald shredded Clinton over the comments, saying, “As she gets increasingly bitter about her 2016 defeat — even when you think there’s no way she can — Hillary Clinton is more and more the liberal id: she just spews what liberals really think and feel but know not to say. That’s where ‘Basket of Deplorables’™ came from.”
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