My grandfather was staunchly Republican. For forever. Eventually became a maga person, he had the hat and everything. He was always at the very least a “bit” racist vocally. Towards the end of trump’s last term something happened that spured him to leaving the maga movement. They cut his VA benefits. He’s still a racist but since it directly affected him, he was against it. This example clearly it directly affects this person’s family, but not the person himself. They make excuses that explain away all the transgressions via religion or “better for country”. It’s more important than ever to remember when he said “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” He doesn’t tell the truth often, but this is a circumstance that I actually believe he did. I don’t know how we got to this point of delusion, but I do think it’s systemic. He’s a result of the disease, not the actual problem. Remember “the sin of empathy”?