Friends and acquaintances ask me all the time what\u2019s wrong, can\u2019t the Trump supporters see what is really going on; don\u2019t they see that Trump is trying to undermine our constitutional government and is committing horrible atrocities? Why, they ask, can\u2019t those who voted for Trump say they made a mistake?<\/p>\n
Two answers stand out. One, people have a difficult time admitting that they made a mistake. I caught an interview with a farmer out in the Midwest who had broken with some of his fellows over supporting Trump. A plain spoken man, when asked about why the farmers were still supporting Trump, he said \u201cThey just aren\u2019t ready to say they were wrong yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two, most of Trump\u2019s supporters are frankly happy with what he is doing because he continues to follow through on his promises. He is doing what they wanted him to do. They approve of his deportations, his actions on gender identification, his defunding of the USAID., his posture toward NATO and Ukraine and his hard line toward China. They also approve of his criticism of American education, especially his actions toward major universities which they consider elite and out of touch with American values.<\/p>\n
What puzzles me is that the more thoughtful and better informed Trump supporters have not turned him loose in spite of his outrageous and dangerous actions to date. They should know better. In fact, there are many of us who understand the failures of previous policies. We want a secure border and believe that foreign aid should be used judiciously, that NATO should pay its fair share and China should be held accountable for its actions. We also believe in fiscal responsibility, balancing the budget and eliminating waste, fraud and duplication in the government bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
What is scary is that these Trump supporters don\u2019t see the larger picture of what has been happening or they – God forbid – feel that the ends justify the means regardless of the consequences for the present and future generations of Americans. The irony is that Republicans and conservatives could have achieved many of their goals without resorting to self-mutilation and selling their souls to a devil. They delude themselves that \u201cTrump being Trump\u201d is a small price to pay for their success. And the euphoria of making the liberals squeal is icing on the cake.<\/p>\n
For most of us, the cost of Trump being in office is potentially awful if not deadly even if it is not directly affecting us in our daily lives yet. Looking down the road we worry about the future of our constitutional government and our very democracy. So far the Trump administration has taken unconstitutional or illegal actions against civil service and federal employees, international students, American citizens, and foreign visitors. Further, it has ignored court rulings, worked to undermine the rule of law, including violations of due process and the first amendment.<\/p>\n
Equally troubling is the Trump administration\u2019s handling of foreign relations. In addition to abandoning Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and threatening NATO, it has repeatedly taken the side of Putin and Russia in the UN and public statements. Especially odious and potentially deadly is the president\u2019s turning his back on allies to the detriment of post-World War II alliances that have successfully kept the peace for eighty years.<\/p>\n
The stakes have never been higher. When will Trump\u2019s supporters and Republicans in Congress wake up to the reality of what is being wrought? When will they be ready to say they made a mistake?<\/p>\n
Soon, I hope, before their delusions become fatal for the nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Friends and acquaintances ask me all the time what\u2019s wrong, can\u2019t the Trump supporters see what is really going on; don\u2019t they see that Trump is trying to undermine our constitutional government and is committing horrible atrocities? Why, they ask, can\u2019t those who voted for Trump say they made a mistake? Two answers stand out….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-robert-fischer"],"yoast_head":"\n