As Donald Trump oozes and flails his way from Steve Bannon to Jared Kushner, from overt white nationalism to bomb-dropping corporate Republicanism, a few of his O.G. supporters are becoming vocally disillusioned, tempting some in the media to overstate the situation, as with Politico’s headline claim that “Trump’s base turns on him.” A few attention-grabbing defections notwithstanding, most in Trump’s base stick with him.
Trump supporters who believed big daddy would fix their one specific issue may be more vulnerable to disillusionment than those who just wanted big (white) daddy in charge more generally. If you really expected him to have rounded up and deported all the immigrants already, as opposed to just some of them, you’re probably not thrilled (or tethered to reality, but that’s another issue):
Brenda Sparks, an “angel mom” whose son was killed by an illegal immigrant, appeared onstage with Trump at an August campaign event in Phoenix. She said he promised her that he would overturn the program known Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, in short order.
While Sparks said she didn't think it would be done immediately, "I had expected it before now."
"I still support Trump, but I'm going to hold his feet to the fire," she said. "He has not lived up to that promise."
And, of course, Bannon loyalists are unhappy that their white nationalist hero has fallen from favor. The Democratic Super PAC American Bridge is trying to build on that disappointment with a series of web ads targeting Trump supporters with reminders of the ways he’s failed them. But plenty of Trump’s original hardcore supporters still see enough racism, hate, and aggression in his administration to keep them happy:
“See what Jeff Sessions is doing?” [Rush] Limbaugh said of the attorney general, answering his own question: “Damn straight.”
Why, he’s installed a heartless far-right extremist on the Supreme Court, partially defunded Planned Parenthood, and is taking steps toward that border wall:
“All of these things that people think are just minor issues, for people like me are huge,” said Joyce Kaufman, a conservative radio host in West Palm Beach, Fla., who dismisses the cries of hypocrisy from others on the right. “They can wring their hands all they want,” she scoffed.
So don’t look for Trump’s die-hard supporters to, well, die easily, no matter what the Politico headlines say. He may lose a few here and there, but the people drawn to him because he’s a hateful, posturing buffoon are going to continue to have plenty of hateful posturing buffoonery to draw them in, and while some of his grandest pledges are out of reach (for now at least), he’s still doing enough damage to keep many on the far right thrilled. There are plenty of voters who can be peeled off from Trump, but the ones who actively embraced the hate, the ones who were proud to join in? They’re not likely to let go easily.