The proper way to understand his appeal is to recognize that most Republicans, and certainly most of Trump's base, dislikes Democrats. They abhor what they perceive to be Democratic policies, values, and priorities. They believe Democrats have corrupt motives and malicious intent. They believe that Democrats similarly hate their values, interests, culture and choices. They believe Democrats cannot be trusted with power, and that if they gain power they will use it corruptly and to accomplish bad ends.

Thanks for this. I've been uneasy with the "cult" take because it doesn't ring true.

They abhor what they perceive to be Democratic policies, values, and priorities.

They seem to have cartoonish views of Democratic policies, or at least express it that way. Many seem to be confused. I tell em my perspective. That people want their SS and Medicare, and we need to come to grips with the fact that Congress has borrowed, given a poor return, and some of the benefits need to be trimmed. But Grandma wants her SS, even though she may not know it's, gasp, Socialism! (I read arguments it isn't but I use Investopedia for that.) We have to accept that we are bigots and have a normal past where we enslaved people, tossed them off their land, slaughtered them at times, have a segregationist past, were imperialists ( some think we still are), and we used our military to counter capitalists enemies and secure our corporations fertile areas in other countries (hegemony) to make money. We've treated the LGBTQ badly, just like many other countries. And lastly that although we are the strongest economy in the world, other countries manage their economic systems better and their people are happier, and, worst of all, there isn't a clear, viable path to managing it better. We seem to have squandered opportunities and the way just isn't there any more. So our best bet is to just manage it as best we can, and keep up our alliances. We're stuck with the 2A, we have to manage it better. We don't need to focus on abortion, but that's a money maker for Evangelicals, so we need to deal - it won't go away if money is involved. Trump represents pissing in the face of every liberalish person who is seen as the arrogant, east-coast, suit - and they are all flyover country, or rednecks. We're stuck.