Hunter S. Thompson called it decades ago
While many commentators say Trump will have to bring back jobs or vibrancy to places like the Rust Belt if he wants to continue to have the support of people who voted for him, Thompson’s account suggests otherwise. Many if not most Trump supporters long ago gave up on the idea that any politician, even someone like Trump, can change the direction the wind is blowing. Even if he fails to bring back the jobs, Trump can maintain loyalty in another way: As long as he continues to offend and irritate elites, and as long as he refuses to play by certain rules of decorum—heaven forfend, the president-elect says ill-conceived things on Twitter!—Trump will still command loyalty. It’s the ethic, not the policy, that matters most.
Wow. I’ve written many paragraphs about this topic but have not come close to succinctly describing the current nightmare infecting our country that this author has stated in just one. Trump’s supporters are reveling in their power to throw a big wrench in the gears, to pour vinegar on a wound, to put a turd in the punch bowl. It is not about specifically about policy, a betterment of the country, or security… it is mostly just sour grapes.