Trumpists v BATophobes: An intriguing portrayal of people’s reactions
By Tiko Okoye
Donald Trump effectively turned what was billed to be a set of thrilling Republican Party presidential primary debates into a theatrical farce by absenting himself and still taking telling pot-shots at the debaters. Except for one or two, Trump’s supposed opponents were practically trying to outdo one another over who he will pick as running mate!
A correspondent of The David Pakman Show has been interviewing attendees at several Trump rallies nationwide. These interviews highly illuminate the mindset of the MAGA support base.
At a rally in South Carolina, the correspondent asked a young man what MAGA meant to him. He responded that America was certainly great when the citizenry placed a high premium on the nuclear family and family values. Asked whether he thinks Trump espouses these family values and constitutes a credible mouthpiece for all the things he cares about, considering that he’s at least married thrice 3x and is being sued for paying hush money to a porn star, besides being heard on the radio bragging about how he could grab any woman’s privates and go scot-free, he tersely replied: “Well, compared to Democrats, Trump is still the best.”
Another lady claimed to “love everything about Donald Trump.” When asked to disclose some of the things he did that she agreed with, she replied that she “agreed with everything he did; what’s there not to like?” But when pressed upon to name just one specific item, she blurted out: “I can’t think of any on the spot, but I liked everything he did”!
In Florida, the opinion of an 80-year supporter was sought on ‘pronouns’ – something Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone out of his way to weaponize. He averred: “There are only two human chromosomes, X and Y. Are we going against science? I’m not a science denier.” But when asked if that meant he was a vaccine supporter, he screamed “Zero!” “But science made the vaccines,” interjected the interviewer. “What kind of science?” he growled. “Who made the science?”
And the correspondent pressed on: “So that doesn’t disqualify you from supporting Trump who was really the godfather of the vaccines?” “Not at all,” responded the octogenarian. “He did what anyone in his position would do at the time; he came on quick and tried to do the best he could do so I don’t hold that against him.”
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“Yet you think the vaccines were not science,” the correspondent pushed back. “No! Zero!” “But Trump supported them and is considered godfather of the vaccines,” insisted the former. “I don’t believe that; its just an expression and I ain’t buying it.” In South Carolina, a lady was asked to choose between “four years of dictator trump and four years of democratically-elected Biden.” “Dictator Trump!” she shouted without batting an eyelid.
Wow! Choosing a dictator over a democrat in America on the “Land of the Free”? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson. Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan must be copiously shedding tears in their graves!
In Texas, one supporter tried to reverse the roles by asking the interviewer to name three good Biden policies that he supports and the correspondent reeled off six: Inflation Reduction Act, America Chips Act, America Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Law, Science Act and ending America’s over-20-year military presence in Afghanistan. The guy was disgusted and flabbergasted that the correspondent had the temerity to call his bluff.
Upon reeling out those policies, the correspondent asked why the Trump supporter suddenly felt very bad. And the supporter responded: “Leave policies aside; Joe Biden is an illegitimate president who stole Trumps election and should be killed for committing treason.”
In New Mexico, a Trumpist told the correspondent that the insurrection was orchestrated by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats, with the end game to keep Trump out of power. When reminded that it doesn’t make any sense for Democrats to want to interrupt the removal of Trump by resorting to an insurrection when they were already going to keep Trump out of power by certifying the vote. He was speechless for a full minute because the guy didn’t know how to respond to the cross-examination.
Another cross-wearing supporter proclaimed that the Omniscient God put Trump in office in 2016, and that he actually believes that “Trump is still the president and maintains total control of the country right now through the military law, the military has more power over the federal and state governments.” “How would you describe the state of America right now?” shot back the interviewer.
“Not good,” quickly responded the supporter without realising the trap his peanut-sized brain had led him into. “So,” prodded the interviewer, “because trump is in control, would you blame him?” “Nooo!” “Why?” demanded the interviewer. “Because things are getting better.” Not even a chameleon would beat that!
It never occurred to the supporter that if God is in-charge of everything then he equally put Biden in office in 2020 and if the election was stolen then the all-knowing God allowed it to be stolen so Biden could be sworn-in as president.
At one Trump rally, the correspondent pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket and proceeded to read what was supposedly written on it. “Biden recently declared that the constitution should be suspended.” What do you make of this? “Aha! The devil is showing his true colours! Biden has never been a patriot and should be jailed for uttering such a monstrosity”!
“Oops! I’m sorry for mixing up the names” announced the interviewer. “It was actually Trump who said it. So, what’s now your take?” The same man shot back without batting an eyelid: “There must be a logical reason why Trump would say that. Honestly speaking, the constitution has become too archaic, and should be suspended while selected experts constitution-writing should be saddled with the job of making it more contemporaneous”!
At another rally, the interviewer repeated the same stunt but changed the quotations. “Biden recently declared that he would give Russia the licence to invade NATO member-nations who are behind in their dues. What do you make of this, considering that Europe and America have been through thick and thin right from WWII and that the only time Article 5 of the NATO Military Pact was triggered was during the 9/11 terrorist attack against the US.”
“That clearly shows you that Biden cannot be trusted to support America’s friends and allies when they are in grave danger. He must be stopped in 2024 before he unravels the solid legacies of past American Presidents.” “Oops! I’m sorry for mixing up the names” announced the interviewer.
“It was actually Trump who said it. So, what’s now your take?” The same man shot back without batting an eyelid: “Trump is right! Why should the European nations think that America would come to their assistance when they fail to fully satisfy their financial obligations? That’s why patriotic American voters must ensure that Trump wins in 2024 because he’s always making America great by putting America first”!
One can never get these wackos to stick to any principled position because they are as slippery as eels. Ask them very simple questions and they immediately start abusing and cursing when the questions and responses seem too convoluted for their pea-sized brains. They tend to be impervious to hardcore evidence or facts. And there are many of them similarly in Nigeria today. These BATophobes are the ones who keep announcing to the world that Nigeria is jaga-jaga. They will never see anything good in whatever President Bola Tinubu does but their favourite politician is a superhuman being who can do no wrong.
BATophobes keep saying that Nigeria is being governed by a drug baron who stole somebody’s election, and never shy away from cutting their noses as long as they succeed in spiting their faces in the process. The more you hear these people speak or read what they write the more you realise that they’ve totally lost touch with reality. They have been feeding on the lies and conspiracy theories of their preferred politicians that they would stroll past the truth upon a chance meeting.
We must do away with the false notion that if we just engage these folks in debates, we can talk them out of their delusions. Some of them, yes; but definitely not on a scale to make any real difference. It would only amount to a dialogue with folks who are deaf and highly dangerous. The only way to go around the knotty challenge they constitute is rendering their vote irrelevant by mobilizing saner voters to troop out in larger numbers at polling booths!
