When former Rep. Joe Walsh admitted that he doesn’t listen to what Trump says, but he still supports him anyway, he revealed on of the ugly little secrets that are keeping Trump so popular in his party.
Video:
Joe Walsh: "As a Trump supporter I do my best not to listen to what he says." Me: Then why are you a supporter? https://t.co/XTKpYtG8cj
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) May 1, 2017
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Walsh told MSNBC’s Katy Tur, “As a Trump supporter, I do my best not to pay attention to what he says, but I’ll tell you what if I pulled my hair out for every nutty thing he said, I’d be bald.”
Trump is still popular with Republicans not because of what he says, but because Republicans aren’t listening to the words that come out of their president’s mouth. Republicans don’t care what Trump says. They aren’t paying attention. Trump could announce tomorrow that he is for universal single payer healthcare run by the government for every American.
Unless Fox News or conservative websites and talk radio told them about it, Republicans wouldn’t know, because they aren’t listening to the guy who is running their party.
This behavior is nothing new for the right. Their systematic withdrawal from the national dialogue has been happening for decades. Most Republicans don’t pay attention to facts anymore. Belief has replaced fact, which means that Trump can lie as much as he wants. He can break a million campaign promises, and it won’t matter to his supporters because they aren’t listening. Trump supporters are believing. They believe in that wall, and they believe that Trump will deliver the best healthcare. They believe that manufacturing jobs are coming back and that Trump is making America great again.
Belief is why Democrats aren’t going to be able to convince the hardcore MAGA hat wearing Trump supporter to vote for them.
Those Republicans will never vote for a Democrat because they don’t care about the facts. They aren’t interested in the better economic argument. These folks are more than happy to sit around and believe it, even if it ends up hurting them in the end.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
