Breaking! Updates to Project 2025 and the Cult of Trump (with Chris Shelton)

·58 min·5 clips

Chris Shelton calls the Heritage Foundation 'Scientology on steroids' and warns its vision is 'nothing short of 1984 or Gilead.'

Dr. Clint Haycock, host of The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast, reconnects with Chris Shelton of the Speaking of Cults podcast to discuss recent developments around Project 2025 and the cult of Trump. They begin by noting both recently renamed their shows for clearer branding. The conversation quickly turns to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's 900-page policy playbook, which they describe as a long-term agenda dating to the 1970s aimed at installing conservative, Christian nationalist policies. Shelton compares the Heritage Foundation's aspirations to 'Scientology on steroids' and dystopian futures like '1984 or Gilead.' They discuss how the Heritage Foundation faced backlash, leading its director to resign and Trump to publicly distance himself. This paved the way for the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a newer think tank founded in 2021 and staffed by former Trump administration officials like Linda McMahon, which is now operating more discreetly. Haycock and Shelton analyze AFPI's 10-pillar agenda, noting how phrases like 'drain the swamp' and 'make it easy to vote and hard to cheat' are loaded language masking authoritarian intents, such as restricting voting access. They draw parallels to immigration and healthcare rhetoric, highlighting how problems are exaggerated to justify extreme solutions. The episode then shifts to the cult psychology of Trump's movement. Shelton explains that Trump's followers often don't fact-check him because he has become an icon or symbol, similar to cult leaders like L. Ron Hubbard. They discuss Trump's rallies as meticulously choreographed events with set playlists and delayed entrances, designed to create euphoric, revival-like atmospheres. Haycock mentions Jeff Sharlet's book 'The Undertow,' which details the psychology of Trump supporters, including those willing to give up voting rights. The hosts connect this to think tanks, arguing that groups like Heritage and AFPI provide loyalty and voter support to Trump in exchange for advancing their agendas, though they risk being undermined by his unpredictability. They conclude by discussing the importance of community for cult survivors, with Shelton offering consultation services, and Haycock promoting his book and upcoming podcast guests.

As heard by us

Chris Shelton and Dr. Clint Haycock read Project 2025 through the psychology of cults and coercive control.

The Dismantling Doctrine Podcast frames Project 2025 through the psychology of cult leadership, focusing on how extreme claims can travel when audiences assume public figures would not simply lie. Chris Shelton and Dr.

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