At the time, people only knew Trump was a misogynist, racist grifter. So, he was just a normal conservative. He also claimed to hate the government, so conservatives voted for him.

They didn’t really get to know what a profoundly depraved sack of shit he was until he was president, at which point conservatives fell in love with him for being just like them. He truly is their most accurate representative.

I’m using the quotations as air quotes… but yes, you’re not wrong.