'Beyond my comprehension': Former Trump official shocked that anyone still supports him

[Tom of Temecula]

Many former Trump administration officials believe the former president is unfit to hold public office again — and cannot comprehend why he still has a large fanbase of voters prepared to elect him, reportedThe Washington Post on Monday.

"Among their reasons for opposing a second Trump term, they cite the 91 criminal charges against him, his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, his false claims of election fraud, his incendiary rhetoric in office, his desire to weaponize the Justice Department, hischaotic management style, his likely personnel choices in a second term, and his affinity for dictators," noted Post reporter Josh Dawsey.

One of these former aides is retired Gen. John Kelly, who previously served as Secretary of Homeland Security and White House chief of staff. He helped implement some of Trump's harsh anti-immigration policies in the beginning — but now believes his former boss getting back into office would be a disaster.

“What’s going on in the country that a single person thinks this guy would still be a good president when he’s said the things he’s said and done the things he’s done? It’s beyond my comprehension he has the support he has,” he said in a recent interview, adding, “I came out and told people the awful things he said about wounded soldiers, and it didn’t have half a day’s bounce. You had his attorney general Bill Barr come out, and not a half a day’s bounce. If anything, his numbers go up. It might even move the needle in the wrong direction. I think we’re in a dangerous zone in our country.”

https://www.rawstory.com/john-kelly-trump-2666309900/

[onecaliberal]

1. You should have come out in real time. The fascist party is trying to overthrow the government and end democracy.

[cilla4progress]

2. Ya

think??!

I'll never understand why it took those like Kelly so long to see the truth of this monster...

[NCIndie]

3. As we all know, his supporters don't believe any of that.

They think he is a fine mine with a few, forgivable flaws who has their best interests at heart.

Absolutely nothing can sway them.

Gratefully, Trump never stops pandering to lower dregs. Most voters are not paying much attention to him or the news. When election day approaches, centrist voters will flock away from him.

[Ocelot II]

4. Perversely, the worse TFG gets, the more his base supports him.

I think it has to do with the fact that people hate to have to acknowledge that they were wrong, so once they've previously accepted TFG's basic awfulness, subsequently rejecting him would be an acknowledgment that they were wrong in the first place. So instead they dig in their heels. Once you've supported the terrible things TFG has done in the past - and the list is long - how do you get off the train? They've accepted p***y-grabbing, putting children in cages, stealing classified documents, banned Muslims, calling veterans losers, giving classified information to the Russian ambassador, trying to extort Ukraine, trying to overturn an election, and on and on. If you finally get off the train now, you're implicitly saying you were OK with those things when he did them.

[WhiteTara]

11. their overlords throw plenty of money

at the situation to make sure they stay blind drunk with rage at the inequity of their lives and how those uppity whatevers are getting all the good stuff. Then hoodwink them with scam too good to be true things on the internet so for a minute they think they got the lottery and the next minute it's some something or other stole from me and the cycle begins anew.

[Seinan Sensei]

21. Base loves TFG

because TFG hates the things they hate
TFG hates the people they hate

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

25. I've posted it before

But someone said what you just did, once upon a time:

One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.

― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

[TwilightZone]

5. Welcome to the party, pal!

Many of us have thought that since the day he walked down the escalator.

[republianmushroom]

6. I'm shocked that anybody ever did support him.

34 months and counting

[3catwoman3]

15. The exact same sentence leaped to mind...

…the moment I read the OP.

It’s frighteningly disheartening that so many Americans are so gullible.

[tanyev]

7. You helped put us in that dangerous zone, John.

[Lonestarblue]

8. These people should have spoken out during Trump's presidency.

But the one I hold most at fault for not helping to convict Trump in his first impeachment trial is John Bolton. Republicans carried on a sham trial, but Bolton could have gone public and encouraged the Senate to convict and prevent Trump from holding office again. Instead he saved his knowledge of how terrible Trump is for his book. He is a traitor to democracy.

Edited to add: Along with every senate Republican who voted to give him a free pass after his impeachment for January 6.

[shrike3]

30. And he mocked Democrats for that first impeachment effort.

Big grin on his face.

[uponit7771]

9. That kind of support isn't organic there are media resources tilting the scale to make Benedict Donald viable

[Hermit-The-Prog]

31. Yep, and Fascist Oligarch eXtremists propaganda network is not alone

Musk ( aka Space Nazi ), Sinclair, Koch, Mercer -- there is a gang of billionaires in the background. Conglomerated main stream media doesn't help a bit, either, because lots of the filthy rich think they will be richer without that pesky democracy in the way.

[UpInArms]

10. asshat

why did you not speak out when you were giving him everything?

freak ...

I hate General John Kelly, the chickenshit

[hay rick]

12. Trump support is a mental disorder. nt

[Mr. Sparkle]

13. Those who support him are still inside the bubble. For me, it shows the size of the right wind media hate sphere.

[Warpy]

14. Gee, John, perhaps if you had been more forthcoming

about who he really is and what his pResidency was really all about, there would ge fewer people in the cult right now.

Your silence has identified you as a large part of the problem.

[chouchou]

16. There's one thing for sure.

When I go shopping, food/malls or wherever, my outlook on other citizens has changed.
It reminds me of some Grade B, 1950's movie "They walk among you"

[Caliman73]

17. When a movement spends 50 years spinning a particular narrative...

why would anyone be surprised that certain people would follow that narrative to its extremes?

This is parallel with the rise of other authoritarian movements and regimes, including Franco, Mussolini, and Hitler. Conservative movements, which represent a very small group of wealthy people, often try to use populist rhetoric and racial, gendered, ethnic, or other biased language and grievances to consolidate power. When a charismatic speaker gains a following, they try to manipulate and use them to remain in power, but when you start moving toward the extreme, you either have to go with it to the end, or you have to disavow it and hope that you can stop it, but simultaneously, you destroy your own chances to stay in power.

I know that people want to think that there is such a thing as a moderate conservative, and yes, historically there was a limit for Conservatives, however they have edged closer and closer to their current situation for some time. Fundamentally, conservatives want the same power structure as more extreme right wing groups, it is the "who" at the top that varies. given enough time, Conservatives will arrive at authoritarianism, it is built into their ideology.

[wiggs]

18. Not too late: Money well spent if an outlet gets three serious former staff members, such as Kelly, to

sit down for an interview together and talk about the dangers of another Trump presidency. it would be money well spent by someone or some organizations interested in democracy.

Or interview them separately and create an add buy that plays 24/7 of former cabinet members and respected gop luminaries talking honestly about his limitations, sociopathy, and dangerous ambitions. THIS SHOULDN'T BE HARD to use daily lies, threats, misbehavior to make a difference. Irresponsible not to!

Need a national audience. can't let the right leaning outlets define him as they wish. Does no good for Rawstory or MSNBC to run this info...

Even if corporate media is reluctant, there are ways to do it!

[wiggs]

20. Perhaps Kelly, Luttig, Bolton on a panel for an hour? nt

[Wonder Why]

19. If the foul one wins, I hope they are the first executed.

[meadowlander]

22. "I propped up a cult and now can't comprehend why the cult members won't listen to reason."

[totodeinhere]

23. Now he says that.

Where was he when he was Trump's chief of staff helping Trump to enable his policies? He is much too late to the party for me. Screw him.

[JohnSJ]

26. Anyone who doesn't vote or voted third party is voting for Trump, just like the jackasses did in 2016

[RockRaven]

27. John, that's how most people feel about turds like you who served in his admin.

Because from before he was ever sworn in, before he ever ran, everyone who bothered to pay attention knew exactly what kind of self-centered ignorant moral monster he is. What the hell is wrong with you that you ever worked for that guy for a single minute?

[ecstatic]

28. because, kelly, you covered for him when Americans really needed to hear the truth. You empowered

and enabled him for years. Had you yanked the cord then, we might not be at this point right now.

[czarjak]

29. Beyond comprehension?

Smarter than that General maybe.