The Trump Card: The Long Game of Discrediting Mass Media & Influencing Elections

Americans woke up on November 9th, 2016 to find that political neophyte Donald J. Trump had surprisingly defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in what had been an ugly election battle. Some cheered. Some cried. Some celebrated. Some protested. But a common question on everyone’s mind was… “How could this have happened?” The Trump Card attempts to answer this question, looking not only at the election, but the systemic changes in mass media which led to this historic moment. A Media Psychologist examines the many influences which provided the environment for a populist candidate like Donald Trump to become the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. Dr. Anthony Bryson explains how ideology, deregulation, special interests, social media, foreign actors, and a cross-section of psychological theory set the stage for a political messaging campaign which gripped the nation and moved the needle just enough to win a tight election.