He was always a Republican, but not always an extremist. He was older than me, so he was in the military while I was still in high school. He stayed in the service and made it his career (non-com).
I remember him emphasizing to me when I took civics that the civilian leadership of the military, by the CIC, prevented military dictatorships. When he returned from 2 years in Vietnam, he was disturbed that anti war protesters were villified and arrested. He said that he fought for the free speech of everyone.
When changing the voting age from 21 to 18 was being discussed, he opposed it in the belief that 18 year olds were not mature enough to make such important decisions. He asked me if I wanted to see a rock star or a TV or film actor in the White House, which he said was the kind of choice 18 year olds would make.
Then, in 1980, he voted proudly for Reagan. My brother was 37 at the time, old enough by his prior reasoning to know better. Later, he became a staunch supporter of Trump. For the sake of peace in the family, I ignored his political comments and focused solely on family news when talking to him. But one day his comments were so outrageous that I responded with my views, very strongly. He stopped all contact with me.
A few weeks later he died.
My SIL said he had become radicalized by pamphlets he brought home that had been distributed among the military, years before he retired. Then he followed those groups online.
He had gone from a rational conservative to a radicalized extremist.
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