Washington, July 15 (RHC)-- Political observers in the United States say that the Republican Party has turned into a cult rather than a political party.

Brendon O’Connor, a professor at the U.S. Studies Center at Sydney University, says the Republican National Convention could deepen divisions within the presidential campaign.

“There isn’t a side of Trump that doesn’t enjoy whipping up the crowd, getting the mob to be enjoying the kind of ecstasy of criticism of various elements of American society, claiming that America is as bad as it has ever been but with them, it would be as great as it could ever be,” O’Connor told reporters.

“This sense of emotive politics which surrounds Trump is why some people see [the Republican Party] as more like a cult movement than a political party,” he said.  “And it has very much transformed the Republican Party into much more of a party based on populist ideas – or even bordering on authoritarian ideas – rather than being a party of the center-right,” he added.

O’Connor said Trump has been central in politicizing any event or incident and using it against the opponent, no matter the evidence.

“This is one of the tragedies of American politics today.”