What is Trump’s appeal to those who continue to stand by his side and support him so strongly?
There’s lots of talk that Trump will likely be indicted (again) this week, but we also know that means little in the short term.
In fact, such things typically cause his poll numbers among the base to go up, as they did after his New York indictment.
So, if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what gives?
What is Trump’s appeal to those who continue to stand by his side and support him so strongly?
I thought David French nailed it in his New York Times column: A Peek Behind the MAGA Curtain.
I’ll share just part of it:
When I look back on the Trump years, I see a dark time of division, corruption, and social decay. … And his entire sorry term was capped by a violent insurrection fueled by an avalanche of lies.
If you watched the town hall, however, you entered an entirely different world. According to Trump’s narrative, everything he did was good. His first term was a time of economic prosperity, energy independence, fiscal responsibility, a rejuvenated military, a locked-down border, and fear and respect from foreign regimes. The only thing that marred his four years was a stolen election and his unjust persecution by the corrupt Democratic Party and its allies in the F.B.I.
In Trumpworld, the Trump past is golden, and the Trump future bright, but the present is a time of misery and darkness. It is President Biden, not Trump, who mishandles classified documents. It is Biden’s family, not Trump’s, that corruptly profits off foreign regimes. Trump would have prevented the Ukraine war. Trump would have withdrawn from Afghanistan more smoothly. As for Biden himself, he’s an object of derision and pity — far too physically and mentally impaired to be president of the United States.
I also did a fair amount of research for other reasons high-level Republicans are endorsing him.
Here are three sets of arguments from Republican U.S. Senators, who have already endorsed Trump for re-election:
So, while I’ll confess that I don’t get it, maybe some of those points made above will help you understand the support a little better.
Ultimately, I still believe we need to remain as kind and non-argumentative as possible with those who support Trump.
The clear majority do not support his re-election or his agenda, as evidenced by the past four elections. (2018, 2020, 2022 (Kansas), and 2023 (Wisconsin)).
Ultimately, I think a fire like Trump has to just burn itself out.
And it’s doing that week by week.
Another indictment — this one more serious than the last — combined with new Republican challengers, such as Chris Christie, will begin to work their magic.
Christie, along with Bill Barr and other prominent Republicans, will attack and pull apart the falsehoods that Trump pushes regarding his time as President. (Some of these will be seen by Trump’s base, who mostly live in a media vacuum.)
All of this will continue to pull down his numbers.
We just have to remain patient and keep the faith.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Enjoy what you’re reading but don’t want to subscribe? Send me a small tip on Venmo at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell). The more tips I get, the more I write. 🤣
P.P.S. If you enjoyed this post, I’ll bet you’d love the motivating and inspiring book below.
CLOSING THOUGHT: Do not despair in these coming days. The light of dawn is emerging, and nothing can stop light (or truth).