Trump’s Base

I’ve been thinking about “Trump’s Base.” The rallies he’s been holding have been shocking shows of recklessness. Why do so many people care more about this charlatan than about their own well-being? It would be comprehensible if the danger were not so manifest. Is it possible that they put more faith in Trump’s bluster about the virus going away than they do about the mounting death toll that dominates the news?

If there is anything you can see with a sense of disbelief it is the sight of these thousands jamming together — most without masks — cheering a weakling who pretends to be Superman. What’s most frightening about this phenomenon is the frame of mind of the thousands at these rallies — not to mention the millions who will be voting for Trump — regardless of whether he wins or loses. These Americans — which include a sizeable number of armed white nationalists — constitute a disquieting danger.

We have just witnessed a shocking manifestation of this danger with the plot to kidnap, and possibly murder, Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) — Keeper of the Flame, so to speak, in documenting the actions of white nationalist, anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi groups throughout the country — reveals their great extent coast to coast. Donald Trump’s presidency has emboldened these groups. When he leaves office — albeit kicking and screaming — these groups, and the general pro-Trump mentality of thousands of Americans — as witnessed by his mass rallies despite the dangers — will remain.

Hopefully, the sanity of leadership by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, will overcome the damage and lingering danger to Americans and to democracy itself. It will take effort, not by the Biden administration alone, but by all of us, to eradicate the virus of hate that existed before Covid-19 and was exacerbated by a self-centered psychotic who doesn’t give a damn about anyone — including those labeled “Trump’s Base.”