I have a friend who has been a staunch Trump supporter since 2016, but now seems to be on the verge of abandoning support of him. I suspect that Ron DeSantis' recent attack campaign painting Trump as a pro-LGBT activist is probably what spurred this on.
Here's an ad of said campaign:
https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1674899610379116546
And here's a Conservative Treehouse article about it:
In a nutshell, my friend is a devout Christian, staunch social conservative, and, more importantly, has obsessive-compulsive disorder. One of his symptoms is that he is obsessed with homosexuality. While he cares about other political issues to some degree or another, he sees homosexuality as the one most important issue that there is, and sees anything less than complete and strict opposition to homosexuality and homosexuals as being unconservative and un-Christian.
He even spends a lot of time and focus researching his favorite celebrities to find out if they have anti-gay views, and if they don't, he gets depressed about it. He more or less disowned Kevin Sorbo lately (and now thinks of Sorbo as not being a true Christian) because he found out that Sorbo said the following in an interview:
I mean, one time somebody said that I was homophobic, and I went, “What?” I’ve been in the business for 35 years, I’ve worked with a lot of gay people, and you won’t find one gay person saying I was a horrible, wretched guy to work with. You won’t, because I don’t have that in my body. I don’t care what someone’s sexual preference is. That doesn’t bother me in the least.
I’ve worked with a lot of gay people, and you won’t find one gay person saying I was a horrible, wretched guy to work with.
You said that you’re not homophobic, so does that mean that you believe in gay marriage and equal rights for the LGBT community?
Yeah sure, why not! As long as we’re all paying taxes, why not? Everyone can have the same benefits. And I think we’ve made leaps and bounds with that. You’re always going to have Christian groups speaking out against it, but you’ll also have Christian groups not speaking that way. So, let’s have an open dialogue and talk about it.
He recently sent me some emails in which he expressed concerns with President Trump that now make him uneasy about supporting him. Here are some relevant quotes to give you an idea of where he's coming from:
One of my concerns stems from Trump's lack of a consistent ideology. It appears that he lacks solid principles, which often leads him to change his stance and express different opinions whenever it suits him. This inconsistency raises questions about his sincerity in fighting for us and the values we hold dear.
For instance, following the tragic Parkland High School shooting in Florida, Trump claimed to be a firm supporter of the Second Amendment but then expressed a willingness to work with Democrats on comprehensive gun reform. This sudden shift in his position on an issue so important to conservatives raises doubts about his commitment to our values.
Furthermore, Trump's ongoing criticism of Ron DeSantis, even after DeSantis proved himself by winning reelection as the governor of Florida, raises concerns about Trump's loyalty to fellow Republicans. Trump's attacks on DeSantis, whom conservative pundits had promised would be part of a strong Republican wave during the midterm elections, highlight his shifting allegiances and inconsistent support.
Additionally, Trump's praise of other Republican presidential challengers, including his compliments to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., raises questions about his political leanings and priorities. Such endorsements and acknowledgments can be puzzling when considering Trump's claim to be a champion for conservative causes.
Moreover, Trump's track record on social issues has left me uneasy. Despite his attempts to portray himself as socially conservative, his past associations with individuals such as George Takei and his efforts to court support from the Log Cabin Republicans demonstrate a more liberal stance on gay rights. His children, including Don Trump Jr., have also displayed socially liberal views, including support for transgender individuals. These actions and attitudes suggest that Trump may not align with our conservative values when it comes to social matters.
In light of these concerns, it is crucial for us to reflect on whether Donald Trump truly upholds the principles and values that we hold dear. As we move forward, it is important to carefully evaluate the impact of his actions and statements on our conservative ideals and the future of our nation.
(By the way, if any of that reads like it's written by ChatGPT, I'm pretty sure it is. I suspect that he recently started using it to reword his emails to me to be more eloquent, as he never used to write like that before. I think that he doesn't realize that I've noticed.)
He also sent me the following links, which he sees as evidence that Trump is pro-gay and therefore unconservative:
https://twitter.com/NvrBackDown24/status/1674830831301410827?s=20
As well as this one, that portrays Trump as "unhinged" for his criticisms of Ron DeSantis:
The impression that I get is that he seems to see Ron DeSantis as the "anti-gay hero we all need" and is starting to buy into DeSantis' characterization of Trump, as well as to dislike Trump for his attacks on DeSantis.
Does anyone have any advice on what I could write to him in order to convince him that Trump is still worth supporting?
I've already been through it with a few people over a year ago, mainly the "I like Trump's policies buuuuttt..." I just point out that Jeb Bush and co are DeSantis's backers, tell them to grow some thicker skin and ask how fucking badly do they really want their country back before this turns into a kinetic civil war?