Will your view of Trump change once the floodgates open?

[Kentonio]

So far we’ve had a number of former Trump administration members leave the admin and say how bad a president he is. There have however been huge numbers of anonymous leakers. We’d have to expect that in January once he is out of power, those people will no longer be scared to speak out, and I’d expect a lot of GOP senators and congressmen to also feel a lot freer to express their real opinions.

So if there’s a huge number of people who worked with him for four years coming out criticizing the guy, will it change your mind (assuming you’re a supporter)? Or will Trump always be your hero no matter what?

 

[Aussie Pete]

So far we’ve had a number of former Trump administration members leave the admin and say how bad a president he is. There have however been huge numbers of anonymous leakers. We’d have to expect that in January once he is out of power, those people will no longer be scared to speak out, and I’d expect a lot of GOP senators and congressmen to also feel a lot freer to express their real opinions.

So if there’s a huge number of people who worked with him for four years coming out criticizing the guy, will it change your mind (assuming you’re a supporter)? Or will Trump always be your hero no matter what?

Trump supporters are misunderstood to at least some degree. From an observer's point of view, he appealed to those who have been disenfranchised by the political class. The fact that Mr Trump could run the country as he has (a unique style to say the least) and still have a huge amount of support should worry the Democrats and future potential Republican administrations. There is seething resentment that the few have become obscenely rich at the expense of the working class. The global economic meltdown caused by unadulterated greed was paid for by those workers. Those who facilitated the collapse walked away with their fortunes and even taxpayer funded bonuses. There is a (justifiable) perception that both sides of politics ensure that the rich are looking only after their own interests. The "deplorables" have not gone away. I trust that Mr Biden is aware of that.

 

[FireDragon76]

Trump supporters are misunderstood to at least some degree. From an observer's point of view, he appealed to those who have been disenfranchised by the political class. The fact that Mr Trump could run the country as he has (a unique style to say the least) and still have a huge amount of support should worry the Democrats and future potential Republican administrations. There is seething resentment that the few have become obscenely rich at the expense of the working class. The global economic meltdown caused by unadulterated greed was paid for by those workers. Those who facilitated the collapse walked away with their fortunes and even taxpayer funded bonuses. There is a (justifiable) perception that both sides of politics ensure that the rich are looking only after their own interests. The "deplorables" have not gone away. I trust that Mr Biden is aware of that.

Trump really did nothing substantive to help the working class. The Foxconn deal was a giant boondoggle, GM plants still closed up and moved, etc. He couldn't even keep Harley Davidson in the US. So he talked a talk but in the end he was a giant smokescreen to cover up the misdeeds of his billionaire oligarch buddies.

 

[Kentonio]

Trump supporters are misunderstood to at least some degree. From an observer's point of view, he appealed to those who have been disenfranchised by the political class. The fact that Mr Trump could run the country as he has (a unique style to say the least) and still have a huge amount of support should worry the Democrats and future potential Republican administrations. There is seething resentment that the few have become obscenely rich at the expense of the working class. The global economic meltdown caused by unadulterated greed was paid for by those workers. Those who facilitated the collapse walked away with their fortunes and even taxpayer funded bonuses. There is a (justifiable) perception that both sides of politics ensure that the rich are looking only after their own interests. The "deplorables" have not gone away. I trust that Mr Biden is aware of that.

You know something, I pretty much agree with everything you just said. I’m also very aware of how much some people started four years ago from that position and have gone deeper and deeper into to a rabbit hole of increasingly extreme beliefs as a result of Trumps messaging since he was elected.

I was watching a show where they were interviewing some of his supporters at home, and the one that stuck out the most was a pair of former Dem voters who came across as really lovely people. They’d voted Dem their whole lives but felt like nothing ever changed for them, so they voted Trump in 2016 despite not really liking him. Now however? That couple are fully Q. They truly believe in paedophile deep state etc etc, and guess what? They’re still lovely friendly people.

That’s the curse of the Trump presidency for me. Not that people wanted a change from establishment politics, that’s completely understandable to me (and why I was a Sanders supporter both elections), but what Trump chose to do with that grassroots anger and frustration.

 

[Strathos]

No, they wouldn't change their minds even if he shot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue. One of the few true things that he has said.

 

[Ophiolite]

No, they wouldn't change their minds even if he shot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue. One of the few true things that he has said.

Well, of course not. People shouldn't be standing in the middle of Fifth Avenue. It's irresponsible, its anti-social, it's un-American. Very bad.

 

[Aussie Pete]

Trump really did nothing substantive to help the working class. The Foxconn deal was a giant boondoggle, GM plants still closed up and moved, etc. He couldn't even keep Harley Davidson in the US. So he talked a talk but in the end he was a giant smokescreen to cover up the misdeeds of his billionaire oligarch buddies.

Four years is not a lot of time to unwind decades of entrenched privilege. There is tremendous inertia to overcome, especially when there is a threat to a billionaire's bank balance. Mr Obama likewise did nothing, hence the reaction of voters in 2016. I have grave doubts that Mr Biden will be any more an agent for change. It's ok to say, "Drain the swamp". First you need to get rid of the crocodiles that infest it.

 

[royal priest]

So far we’ve had a number of former Trump administration members leave the admin and say how bad a president he is. There have however been huge numbers of anonymous leakers. We’d have to expect that in January once he is out of power, those people will no longer be scared to speak out, and I’d expect a lot of GOP senators and congressmen to also feel a lot freer to express their real opinions.

So if there’s a huge number of people who worked with him for four years coming out criticizing the guy, will it change your mind (assuming you’re a supporter)? Or will Trump always be your hero no matter what?

Trump was hated at the beginning, yet he grew in popularity.

 

[FireDragon76]

Four years is not a lot of time to unwind decades of entrenched privilege. There is tremendous inertia to overcome, especially when there is a threat to a billionaire's bank balance. Mr Obama likewise did nothing, hence the reaction of voters in 2016. I have grave doubts that Mr Biden will be any more an agent for change. It's ok to say, "Drain the swamp". First you need to get rid of the crocodiles that infest it.

That was all rhetoric on Trump's part. Trump is a narcissist, not an ideologue, and could care less about "cleaning up the swamp". In fact he invited in more "swamp critters" into politics, in the process of his self-gratification.

 

[FireDragon76]

You know something, I pretty much agree with everything you just said. I’m also very aware of how much some people started four years ago from that position and have gone deeper and deeper into to a rabbit hole of increasingly extreme beliefs as a result of Trumps messaging since he was elected.

I was watching a show where they were interviewing some of his supporters at home, and the one that stuck out the most was a pair of former Dem voters who came across as really lovely people. They’d voted Dem their whole lives but felt like nothing ever changed for them, so they voted Trump in 2016 despite not really liking him. Now however? That couple are fully Q. They truly believe in paedophile deep state etc etc, and guess what? They’re still lovely friendly people.

That sounds shallow, cynical, and narcissistic... hardly "Lovely people".

 

[Kentonio]

Trump was hated at the beginning, yet he grew in popularity.

No he really didn’t.

How Popular Is Donald Trump?

 

[Kentonio]

That sounds shallow, cynical, and narcissistic... hardly "Lovely people".

Why? They were hard working people who kept voting for a party that promised to improve their economic situation, and they voted over and over again for those people. There is always going to come a point when people give up on those who continually break their promises.

The lesson of Trump for the Democrats should be a very clear one. They MUST focus on actually delivering for the working class.

 

[FireDragon76]

Why? They were hard working people who kept voting for a party that promised to improve their economic situation, and they voted over and over again for those people. There is always going to come a point when people give up on those who continually break their promises.

So instead they voted for a demagogue and con artist who would have tried to sell his own mother the Brooklyn Bridge.

I agree with @JackRT on this point, the "basket of deplorables" is apt to describe such individuals. I refuse to buy this garbage that Democrats turned their back on working people. They turned their back on pandering to white working class people's bigotry, but it's not like Democrats haven't sought out the votes of organized labor. American workers have forgotten how to unionize because Americans have become lazy, ignorant, and cynical. And none of that is the fault of Democrats.

 

[cow451]

So far we’ve had a number of former Trump administration members leave the admin and say how bad a president he is. There have however been huge numbers of anonymous leakers. We’d have to expect that in January once he is out of power, those people will no longer be scared to speak out, and I’d expect a lot of GOP senators and congressmen to also feel a lot freer to express their real opinions.

So if there’s a huge number of people who worked with him for four years coming out criticizing the guy, will it change your mind (assuming you’re a supporter)? Or will Trump always be your hero no matter what?

I will have just as much respect for Mr. Trump as I have now.

 

[Albion]

The "deplorables" have not gone away. I trust that Mr Biden is aware of that.

Much of what you've written is right on target. But the fact is that it doesn't, and won't, matter much to Biden or to his party. Not now or in the future after the electoral system has been altered to prevent the ruling political party from being unseated.

Even if the hijinks that made Biden's win this year possible (assuming of course that he actually did win), there is much more to come in that direction now that Biden's party has control (or close to it) in the Senate.

Millions of non-citizens will be given citizenship, along with which comes voting rights, more will be imported in order to serve the interests and needs of Bill Gates and Company, one or two new states may be created with their Democratic Senators, the Supreme Court will probably be packed with dutiful liberals as has been promised, there are moves developing to give the vote to 16 year olds, and more.

All of that will firm up and secure the one-party rule that is about to be enshrined here.

 

[Kentonio]

So instead they voted for a demagogue and con artist who would have tried to sell his own mother the Brooklyn Bridge.

I agree with @JackRT on this point, the "basket of deplorables" is apt to describe such individuals. I refuse to buy this garbage that Democrats turned their back on working people. They turned their back on pandering to white working class people's bigotry, but it's not like Democrats haven't sought out the votes of organized labor. American workers have forgotten how to unionize because Americans have become lazy, ignorant, and cynical. And none of that is the fault of Democrats.

Of course Democrats have sought out the votes of organized labor, but it’s not like they’ve consistently delivered for them, or else rural America wouldn’t have turned deep red.

Yes of course it’s not that black and white, but I hate this idea that half the country is just inherently irredeemable. The answer to the question ‘why are tens of millions of poor working Americans voting for the party that does nothing for them?’ cannot just be ‘because they’re racist’.

Sure lots of them will be racist. Most people in predominantly white areas are to some extent, consciously or more often subconsciously. But the vast majority aren’t voting to be racist or to further racist causes, they’re just voting for what they think will benefit their lives the most.

 

[Kentonio]

Much of what you've written is right on target. But the fact is that it doesn't, and won't, matter much to Biden or to his party. Not now or in the future after the electoral system has been altered to prevent the ruling political party from being unseated.

Even if the hijinks that made Biden's win this year possible (assuming of course that he actually did win), there is much more to come in that direction now that Biden's party has control (or close to it) in the Senate.

Millions of non-citizens will be given citizenship, along with which comes voting rights, more will be imported in order to serve the interests and needs of Bill Gates and Company, one or two new states may be created with their Democratic Senators, the Supreme Court will probably be packed with dutiful liberals as has been promised, there are moves developing to give the vote to 16 year olds, and more.

All of that will firm up and secure the one-party rule that is about to be enshrined here.

Perhaps if Republicans honestly asked themselves the question ‘Why do we consistently lose the popular vote, and by amounts that increase each time?’ they might actually move to be representative of what Americans actually want.

Alternatively of course they could continue with the fearmongering, silly conspiracies and wild self delusion that you’ve exhibited here, and continue trying to prevent people from voting en masse, in which case yes America will indeed become a one party state.

The GOP are shooting themselves in both feet. The hugely increasing Latino demographic is extremely open to conservative values. Yet the GOP think it’s smart to paint them as lazy freeloaders and criminals. It’s just dumb politics. Even Bush knew that.

 

[Strathos]

No he really didn’t.

How Popular Is Donald Trump?

When he was first elected, I thought that hopefully he wouldn't be as bad as people were predicting. I ended up being right - he was worse.

 

[durangodawood]

Trump was hated at the beginning, yet he grew in popularity.

Well before the beginning. I couldnt stand the guy going all the way back to the 80s. There's always been something repellant to me in his grotesque self-aggrandizement.

 

[royal priest]

Well before the beginning. I couldnt stand the guy going all the way back to the 80s. There's always been something repellant to me in his grotesque self-aggrandizement.

I don't think many of his supporters would be disaffected by more criticism because the nature of their support is mere co-belligerance; any flaws in his character notwithstanding.