Republicans Supporting Donald Trump Know That Their Position Can't Be Justified

Traditional Conservatism in the U.S. has historically been made up pf certain core values, such as respect for American traditions, limited government, support for Christian values, moral universalism, strong national defense, and free trade, among other principles. Many Republicans see these principles embodied by someone like Ronald Reagan, for instance. Trump exhibits almost none of those qualities other than a respect for free trade. That dedication likely only comes from his personal experience, supporting a set of free trade policies that have enhanced his personal wealth. Even then, he has historically been willing to bend on those if it helps his bottom line. When it comes to Christian values and universal morality, Trump can't make a claim to either. If anything, he is one of the most morally relativist politicians at work today. Even his supporters are willing to admit this truth about his character. Trump may have grown up attending Norman Vincent Peale's New York City church, but he is not a man of God. Indeed, many Christian Republicans struggled to support the president during his 2016 campaign, citing his apparent lack of religious character. Many only came around after Trump promised to select an anti-abortion Supreme Court justice. Trump's personal life flouts many of the small-town Christian values that Republicans claim to support. He has been divorced twice and married three times. He has been embroiled in many sex scandals, including upwards of two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct. While Trump may support aspects of the Republicans' economic plans, such as tax cuts and free market capitalism, when it comes to the moral, Conservative core of the party, he is very far from the norm.

When Trump supporters or Republican leaders are confronted with the facts of what Trump does or says, they quickly unravel. That's because they know much of his behavior is indefensible. When al else fails, many turned to straightforward denial about what occurred. Earlier this summer, for instance, Trump tweeted a conspiracy theory about Antifa. The same routine took place as often happens following an outlandish tweet: total denial. When asked by reporters, Republicans quickly closed ranks and responded similarly, namely by pretending they were completely unaware of what had been said. "I didn't see [the tweet]," Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said. "You're telling me about it. I don't read Twitter. I only write on it." "I'm not going to comment on the President's tweets," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Colorado GOP Sen. Cory Gardner simply said he'd rather not look at it. In June 2020, journalists became so exasperated by the same "I didn't see it" responses that some reporters actually printed out copies of one Trump tweet to show Republicans in Congress. When met with an "I didn't see that tweet," journalists were able to simply show it to Republicans as they were asking about it. Even that failed. "Faced with documentary evidence of the president’s inflammatory remark, most Republicans averted their gaze on Tuesday, declining to comment as they darted through the hallways of Capitol Hill and appearing to wish away what was on paper in front of them," wrote the New York Times.