This will piss some people off but... In my opinion the psychological damage caused by the kind of blind faith promoted by religion is why Trump's lies so easily spread. It conditions people to accept authority without question. When individuals are taught from an early age to believe in something without proof, to surrender critical thinking in favor of “divine truth,” they become more susceptible to manipulation. Trump has exploited this mindset, demanding unwavering loyalty while flooding the public with lies. His supporters don’t require evidence; they’ve been conditioned to reject it. The same mechanisms that demand faith in religious dogma now demand faith in political falsehoods, creating a world where truth is secondary to belief, and where reality itself is dictated NOT by facts, but by the proclamations of a self-styled savior. Blind faith, whether in a religious figure or a political demagogue, is corrosive to democracy and to the human mind.

NEW: Sen. @brianschatz says he will place a “blanket hold” on all of Trump’s State Department nominees until USAID is back up and running again

Professor @RMarieGriffith will interview @TimAlberta on Tuesday, July 30 for the College of the Atlantic Summer Institute. In-person and online registration at coa.edu/SI