Why does Trump have any support? Fear.

I believe that the vast majority of voters in America are sane. That belief has had me wondering why Donald Trump is supported by people who otherwise would pass a sanity test.

By any rational measure, Trump is a lying, cheating, lazy, corrupt, ignorant, irreligious psychopath and traitor. His 40,000+ lies have been documented and refuted. 

He denies losing the last election despite 60+ lawsuits, several vote recounts, many of his own attorneys, and thousands of independent thinkers telling him otherwise.

He fomented an insurrection- an attempted coup that was more serious than the crime committed by traitors Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed.

Trump has offered many different excuses for his inexcusable actions on Jan 6, 2021, as he has for other crimes he has committed.

He stole classified documents, denied he stole them, admitted he took them but claimed he was allowed to, and by a recent count, had more than 30 different excuses for what happened.

Recently, Trump refused to sign the Illinois pledge not to attempt to overthrow the United States government.

He had to pay a $25 million fine for cheating thousands of students with his ‘Trump University” scam.

He had to pay a $2 million fine for cheating the government with his “Trump Foundation” scam.

He claimed global warming is a “Chinese hoax,” and he rolled back more than 125 environmental safeguards.

He claimed COVID was “just the common cold” that would “go away.” He discouraged vaccination and masks while encouraging the use of useless hydroxychloroquine.

More than a million Americans died, many of them because they obeyed Trump. Because of him, people didn’t follow medical advice to vaccinate or to take COVID seriously and avoid large gatherings.

He was the ultimate nepotist, giving important political jobs to his inexperienced daughter and son-in-law.

Not only does he continue to deny the election results, but he threatens: “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”

He claims that as President, he can’t be prosecuted for any crime, even murder or assassinating a political opponent. That is the definition of a dictator. (Presumably, this means President Biden could have Trump killed, but Trump didn’t think of that.)

His online ravings are the work of a madman. No sane person would post anything like this, on Christmas, no less:

“Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith, the out of control Lunatic who just hired outside attorneys, fresh from the SWAMP (unprecedented!), to help him with his poorly executed WITCH HUNT against “TRUMP” and “MAGA.” Included also are World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and “sick” as the THUGS we have inside our Country, with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!”

He has posted many crazed screeds of similar ilk: Fear, hatred and lies.

After being convicted of defaming E. Jean Carroll, he began defaming her again — 70 times more on his Truth Social account.

There are 20 criteria for psychopathy. Trump passes all 20. 

Trump has expressed bigotry against people of color, non-Christians, gays, women, and immigrants.

The list could go on and on, far too long for this post.

The point is that Donald J. Trump not only is unfit to be President of the United States and unfit to hold any political office, but he even is unfit as a human being.

And it’s no secret. He doesn’t bother to hide his lack of fitness; instead, he boasts about it. 

Each time he is charged or convicted of some misdeed, he immediately goes online to use his shameful conduct as an example of his persecution and a ploy to ask his followers for money.

Latest headline: Trump Makes New Court Filing Demanding the Election Crimes Case Against Him Be Dropped Because No One Told Him Overturning an Election Was a Crime (thereby admitting he tried to overturn the election.) 

Think about it. The man who wants to be President claims as  his defense, that he didn’t know that a coup is wrong.

The question is: Why does Trump have any followers at all?

I can understand the Republican Party. Long ago, they put party before country. They are no different from the Nazis who worshipped Hitler while knowing exactly what he was.

There is no crime Trump could commit — from murder to child molestation — that would turn the GOP away from him. For each crime, they immediately would blame the Democrats, Hillary, Biden, Hunter, and/or George Soros. 

Not that they believe their claims. Attacking is what Republicans do instead of governing. It is a party without morals or a plan for improving the lives of Americans. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert are the epitome of today’s do-nothing Republicanism.

And I can understand the right-wing media, Fox, Breitbart, and the toadies who work for them: Hannity, Bartiromo, Ingraham, et al. They are paid to support the psychopath. Money is a great motivator that soothes the conscience.

And, of course, Alex Jones et al. was fined a billion dollars for his lies. He and others “believe” Trump because it’s a lucrative gig. And there is Tucker Carlson, whose lies cost his former employer nearly a billion dollars.

Staying with the money theme, the rich believe Trump will be better for tax laws that benefit the rich. He already has demonstrated that. For the right-wing rich, favorable tax laws (for them) are all that matter.

But what about the rest, the proverbial “men in the street.” Why do they believe, and not just believe, but avidly idolize and adore this charlatan?

Something in the human psyche makes many of us crave a dictator.

The world is a dangerous, uncertain place. It’s beyond our control. We can die, young or old, slowly or suddenly.

We feel we need protection.

That is why we have dictators and religions. We will follow whoever or whatever says to us: “Here are the evils you will encounter, but I will protect you.”

The Ten Commandments listed the evils and said God would protect his followers, sometimes even providing a paradise for their afterlife. Despite surface appearances, religion has little to do with good and evil. Religion is a road to protection.

That is why an evil creature like Trump has support from white evangelicals. They have a persecution complex, and since God fails to protect them, Trump promises to do the job.

Trump tells his followers that the dangers are from Mexicans, blacks, yellows, reds, non-Christians, foreigners (except Putin and Kim), gays, women, and poor people.

Trump claims he will protect his frightened followers by building a high, impregnable wall for them to hide behind, by having his police kick down doors, and by deporting millions of non-citizens. 

He will deny birthright to born-in-America children of undocumented parents.

He will protect the fearful rich from the have-nots.

SUMMARY

Trump’s primary appeal is to fear and hatred. He is a hatemonger and a fear peddler. He claims that he and the white, Christian majority are under siege by dangerous Mexicans, blacks, reds, yellows, gays, women, liberals, “wokes,” foreigners, and the poor.

It is untrue, but facts are unnecessary when one is spreading fear and hatred, our most powerful emotions. 

Just as you cannot argue religion with a true believer, you cannot argue Trump with a MAGA. No amount of truth or logic will penetrate. MAGAs are willing to turn over their lives to an obvious scoundrel because, after all, wasn’t Christ called a criminal?

The best you can do is to keep telling the truth, again and again. You must keep reminding America of what Trump has said and done, so that the volume of MAGA lies doesn’t overwhelm sanity and decency. 

Eventually, even the most blockheaded come to their senses. Belatedly, the Germans, Italians, and Japanese learned this lesson during WWII. The Russians, not yet, but perhaps, when Putin dies, a reasonable person will take his place.

Trump is mentally and physically sick. Will his successor be another Hitler, another Trump? Or will that successor believe the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty? More importantly, will his followers believe those noble words?

Lately, decency has been missing from the right. Lincoln has been gone too long.

Will Republican voters continue to believe the lie that cruelty and hatred are signs of strength. Or will they conquer their fears. Will they learn that real strength comes from the kindness and honesty that helped America benefit from immigrants and minorities?

It’s a lesson we all need to embrace. 

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
Monetary Sovereignty

Twitter: @rodgermitchell Search #monetarysovereignty
Facebook: Rodger Malcolm Mitchell

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The Sole Purpose of Government Is to Improve and Protect the Lives of the People.

MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY