I started this blog just over a year ago and have outlined, on many occasions, my thoughts and feelings on the unfitness of Donald Trump for the office of the Presidency. I still struggle to understand those who support Trump while remaining respectful of differing opinions. I came across an article on theatlantic.com called “Why Trump Supporters Believe He Is Not Corrupt” by Peter Beinart (8/22/2018). Beinart writes, what Trump “…supporters fear most isn’t the corruption of American law, but the corruption of America’s traditional identity.”
He continues, supporters fear the “…corruption of the traditional order… of traditional racial and sexual norms.” They fear civil and equal rights for all as they see this as a challenge to their traditional identity and status in American society. They see this racist and misogynist president as the protector of this “traditional” order. Beinhart states that “Once you grasp that for Trump and many of his supporters, corruption means less the violation of the law than the violation of established hierarchies, their behavior makes more sense.”
Many Trump supporters see minorities, immigrants and feminists as the enemies of their traditional American identity. They see this as the corruption of America not the corruption in politics, in big business or of the law. Beinhart says “For many Republicans, Trump remains uncorrupt -indeed, anti corrupt…” because he presents as the in-charge, strong white male of their idea of tradition.
The fear of this loss of “traditional” hierarchy is so great that many have been blinded to the damage that is being done to our democracy as the rule of law is being discarded. We live in a multicultural/racial country. Our success is dependent on working together and upholding human rights for all. Change should not be feared but embraced as we are stronger together than divided.
reilly m gray 