Twitter hangs on Donald Trump’s every word partly to glean insight into the mind of the president, but also because each tweet triggers a cascade of fury that energises the network. Trump is angry. Liberals are angry back at him. Conservatives are angry with liberals.

This is right on the money:

There is a fundamental difference between the appeal of a mass movement and the appeal of a practical organization. The practical organization offers opportunities for self-advancement, and its appeal is mainly to self-interest. On the other hand, a mass movement, particularly in its active, revivalist phase, appeals not to those intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but to those who crave to be rid of an unwanted self. A mass movement attracts and holds a following not because it can satisfy the desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy the passion for self-renunciation.