This piece by Philip Bump at the Washington Post is worth reading all the way through, particularly the parts in which he examines the illogic of all the voter fraud claims being made by Trump and other Republicans. It’s maddening.
But this excerpt stands out:
The story of the Trump presidency, a story still being fleshed out, is one of a cadre of yes-men facing off against realists. Then and now, Trump used the power of his large, loud and credulous base to tip the scales in his favor, forcing the Grahams, Pences and Rep. Liz Cheneys (R-Wyo.) to consider the costs of going not just against him but against all of those supporters as well. Trump’s dishonesty helped create a political army that he used bluntly.
There’s a scene recounted in “Peril” that speaks to this. On Jan. 5, Pence spoke to Trump in the Oval Office and told him that he would not deploy Eastman’s strategy of rejecting the results of the election. Woodward and Costa describe what happened next.
“Once Pence left, Trump opened a door near the Resolute Desk. A rush of cold air blasted the room. The temperature was around 31 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with the wind making it feel even colder,” they write. “Trump stood there, still, and listened. Through the din of police sirens and the whir of a city, he could hear his people. They sounded joyful. He breathed in the cold air and smiled.”
Those supporters, at least, were doing what he wanted.
It is a mob, a gang, an army of dedicated bullies joyfully devoted to their Dear Leader who unabashedly gives voice to their unjustified grievance toward everyone who disagrees them. We saw them in their glory on January 6th. That is who they are. And Trump knows it.