They then mistake what who they're following for a good leader. Donnie is a horrible leader. But the mass of ignorant blind followers coalesced around him so there you have it.

He survives as a "leader" only because the magat masses made a suicide pact to follow him even if he were to tell them to drink cyanide... or go into crowds unmasked during a pandemic....

Point is, they're all weak, spineless, principle-free betas. Some of them cosplay alphas but they're not.