I don’t run in circles with many Trump supporters. Those who cross my path on a recurring basis are not the stereotypical MAGA crowd. They don’t sport MAGA gear or overtly and inappropriately share their political views. Their stated reasons for supporting Trump are usually some variation of Trump being the lesser of two evils or broad policy positions you might have heard from a pre-Trump Republican on the Sunday talk show circuit.
I’ve accepted these explanations to avoid unnecessary confrontation. I genuinely like some of these Trump supporters when we’re doing anything other than talking about politics. My problem is the debate hammered home a realization I’ve intentionally avoided since Trump glided down that golden escalator and into our nightmares. These Trump supporters are lying about their reasons for supporting Trump. They are either lying to me or lying to themselves.
I’ve long known there are at least two types of Trump supporters. The first type of Trump supporter belongs to the MAGA base. The people in this group have subtle differences, but most of them share common attributes. They are willfully ignorant or possess malicious intent, they prioritize harming perceived enemies over self-interest, and they find more comfort believing the world is controlled by a liberal dark hand than accepting chaotic reality.
The second type of Trump supporter is people in positions of influence who know Trump has no ideological mooring other than self-interest. These people believe they can manipulate Trump in pursuit of their own self-serving and dogmatic agendas. Some of these Trump supporters are serving jail time and others have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
This brings me to the third type of Trump supporter I’ve been loath to acknowledge. They provide traditionally acceptable policy-based explanations for why they support Trump. They are also smart and observant enough to know Harris is not a socialist and the policy positions Trump allegedly supports are malleable at best. These Trump supporters are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Trump’s debate performance reinforced this unavoidable conclusion. His assertion immigrants are devouring their neighbors’ pets was not as dangerous as politicizing COVID or suggesting people inject bleach. It was not as outlandish as nuking hurricanes or requiring Mexico pay for a border wall. It wasn’t even as vile as his Charlottesville comments or desire to execute Black Lives Matter protesters. What made the statement unique in this presidential election cycle was its visibility. None of the Trump supporters I’m describing are unaware of the statement or pretending to be unaware.
These otherwise intelligent people cannot think a man who believes this lunacy or would degrade immigrants with this type of disgusting lie has the temperament or character to be president regardless of policy. This means they cannot believe their own policy driven explanations for supporting Trump. Policy is an excuse for darker motivations these Trump supporters are unwilling or incapable of acknowledging. My only question is if they are lying to me or lying to themselves.
