Code Switch What Trump's language has in common with cult language
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Mar 21, 2026 
Amanda Montell, author of Cultish and co-host of Sounds Like a Cult, breaks down how persuasive phrasing builds followings. She traces repeated buzzwords, chantable slogans, and thought-terminating clichés. She links romanticized pasts and performative speech to cultlike dynamics. She also points to red flags and how to resist compulsive, ritualized thinking.
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Loaded Buzzwords Create Reflexive Loyalty
- Political leaders use loaded buzzwords to trigger reflexive emotions in followers.
- Amanda Montell cites Trump terms like fake news, witch hunt, and the deep state as repeated emotionally charged labels that shape feeling more than argument.
Jonestown Stage Tricks Mirror Modern Theatrics
- Amanda Montell compares Trump's theatrics and populism to Jim Jones's rhetorical spectacles.
- She recounts a Jonestown survivor's story where Jones demonized the Bible as the "paper idol" during stage theatrics.
Thought Terminating Phrases Stop Questions
- Thought-terminating clichés are short, repeatable phrases meant to shut down independent thinking.
- Montell explains Trump uses these semantic stop signs (e.g., calling a bad headline "fake news") to alleviate cognitive dissonance among followers.