Questions for Trump supporters.

[°Leprechaun]

I am wondering how many of you dislike him personally but agree with him on policy and issues and only support him because of the latter.

Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives?

Do you like him and his policies?

Do you like him but disagree with him on policy issues?

The point is that although I disagree with him politically, I find him extremely offensive as a human being as well. Also, many of his supporters are equally nasty. (not to say that all of his opponents are saints, of course)

I am wondering if there are Trump supporters here who aren't nasty people but support him anyway.

[SingingAnalyst]

I didn't vote Trump, but I'll answer anyway. I think a significant number of Trump supporters dislike Trump personally, but approve of his policies.

I also suspect Trump supporters comprise less than 40% of the electorate, and I believe not all who voted for Trump are (or ever were) "Trump supporters"; they thought he was less bad than the alternative.

[Fuzzy Bear]

"Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives?"

I felt Trump to be the best of all Republicans running in 2016.  I viewed Hillary Clinton as the worst Democrat; an entitled legacy, under investigation but unwilling to step aside.  I will say that the 2016 elections represented the worst binary choice in my lifetime.

"Do you like him and his policies?'

For that most part.  He's on board with social conservatism (although he's not a social conservative at heart), and he's right on religious freedom issues.  I watch him closely on foreign policy, but he's largely been true to his campaign promises on this regard.  He's right on trade and he's right on his America First focus.  

"Do you like him but disagree with him on policy issues?"

I agree with him on most policy issues.  As to "Liking" or "Disliking" him, it's a bit complicated.  He's sometimes a real jerk, but other times, his lack of political correctness is refreshing.  

I find Trump's lack of graciousness the least desirable of his qualities.  When someone angers him through criticism, he is petty in ways that make no sense, and he can be outwardly unforgiving of minor things in ways that are befuddling and maddening.  On the other hand, I can't find fault with his relentlessness at which he responds to attacks.  I admire Trump's grit, and the fact that he never gives up.  

[Grassroots]

Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives?

He's way better than Hillary. We dodged a bullet to the head, but still got one in the arm.

Do you like him and his policies?


I used to like him personally, but now he's really incompetent and embarrassing.

His policies are fine. He's very conservative on immigration (Wall, ICE, etc.) and a moderate on a few issues (Gay marriage, etc.). Though I would love to see a more qualified person take them to the oval office.

Do you like him but disagree with him on policy issues?

For me what you said is completely the opposite. I don't like him but I agree with a lot of his policies. I think he is a bit too conservative on immigration, but overall his policies are just standard conservative values.

In total, I liked him during the campaign, but currently do not like him due to him embarrassing us on the world stage and not being through on his core promises.

[here2view]

I didn't vote for Trump but I have a friend in Ohio who did, so a state that went from Obama to Trump. I know his thoughts so he'd say:

Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives?
Supported Rand Paul in the primary, only supported Trump once the General Election rolled around because he's very anti-Clinton (hated Clinton more than Obama) and will vote for whoever is the Republican candidate. He thought Trump was an idiot but viewed him as the lesser of two evils. Voted for Romney in 2012 and likes him more than Trump. Would vote for essentially any of the alternatives in the GOP primary before Trump.

Do you like him and his policies?
Supports his policies to a degree. He's probably more conservative than Trump has let on on for social issues, as my friend is against abortion and same-sex marriage. Values economic issues more though, as he is pretty much the standard GOP voter here. However, he thinks they screwed up the tax bill bad and doesn't like how Trump and the administration handled repealing Obamacare this summer - he thoughts they could have done better to pass a bill.

[Young Conservative]

Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives? I did not support him in the primary's, and I could not bear to have someone as corrupt and liberal as Clinton in the WH after eight years of economic and social policy that hurt my family and the country. I also felt that candidate Trump and now president Trump cared about people like me. No candidate ever talks to me and means it. He meant it. He cut through the fluff and junk politicians spew.

Do you like him and his policies? I think he wants to help America (why else would he sacrifice billions of dollars of his net worth and endure this scorn?) and I believe the campaign caused him to become a better person. 

Do you like him but disagree with him on policy issues? I agree with him on most things.

[TPIG]

Donald Trump was my 17th favorite out of 17 Republican candidates, in 2016. I have no personal attachment to the man himself and often find his behavior to be extremely un-presidential and classless. However, he has pursued a far more conservative agenda than I ever imagined that he would, so I don't dismiss him out of hand and no longer consider myself a "Never-Trump" Republican. I would still likely vote for a primary challenger against him in 2020, but would not have much of a problem voting for him in the general.

[Indy Texas]

Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives? I did not support him in the primary's, and I could not bear to have someone as corrupt and liberal as Clinton in the WH after eight years of economic and social policy that hurt my family and the country. I also felt that candidate Trump and now president Trump cared about people like me. No candidate ever talks to me and means it. He meant it. He cut through the fluff and junk politicians spew.

Do you like him and his policies? I think he wants to help America (why else would he sacrifice billions of dollars of his net worth and endure this scorn?) and I believe the campaign caused him to become a better person. 

Do you like him but disagree with him on policy issues? I agree with him on most things.

You're so preciously naive.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives? I did not support him in the primary's, and I could not bear to have someone as corrupt and liberal as Clinton in the WH after eight years of economic and social policy that hurt my family and the country. I also felt that candidate Trump and now president Trump cared about people like me. No candidate ever talks to me and means it. He meant it. He cut through the fluff and junk politicians spew.

Do you like him and his policies? I think he wants to help America (why else would he sacrifice billions of dollars of his net worth and endure this scorn?) and I believe the campaign caused him to become a better person. 

Do you like him but disagree with him on policy issues? I agree with him on most things.

Out of interest, how did the Obama administration's social policy hurt you and your family?

[Fuzzy Bear]

Do you dislike him but think he is better than the alternatives? I did not support him in the primary's, and I could not bear to have someone as corrupt and liberal as Clinton in the WH after eight years of economic and social policy that hurt my family and the country. I also felt that candidate Trump and now president Trump cared about people like me. No candidate ever talks to me and means it. He meant it. He cut through the fluff and junk politicians spew.

Do you like him and his policies? I think he wants to help America (why else would he sacrifice billions of dollars of his net worth and endure this scorn?) and I believe the campaign caused him to become a better person. 

Do you like him but disagree with him on policy issues? I agree with him on most things.

Out of interest, how did the Obama administration's social policy hurt you and your family?

I can tell you how Obama's economic policies hurt MY family.

For the past six years, my wife and I have supported my adult son and daughter-in-law to the point where we could claim my son on taxes.  My son has had no income, but he has not been able to qualify for Medicaid.  I would be able to qualify him as an adult dependent on my taxes, but doing so would have required me to pay the Obamacare penalty, which would have made me owe, instead of getting a refund.  It was more favorable for me NOT to claim a dependent.

Now don't get me wrong; the failure to expand in Medicaid in Florida is on Rick Scott and the GOP.  Medicaid expansion was a key part of AHCA and the SCOTUS's striking it down, making it voluntary, was a death blow for Obamacare in many ways.  But Obamacare is a tax; if it weren't, it would have been struck down in its entirety by the High Court.   A tax that would have fallen on me if I had declared an adult I supported as a dependent. 

Someone has to pay for Obamacare subsidies.  I get that.  To say that Obamacare was a "progressive" tax is, IMO, less than accurate.

[Inmate Trump]

I’ve never been embarrassed to be an American until Trump won the nomination and was then elected in the general.  I never thought that was a feeling I would experience, and it’s not a good feeling.

I love my country.  But we have made a catastrophic error and it’s one that will haunt us for decades or more.  I can’t blame the majority of Americans, as the majority of us rejected him.  But I can at least blame the people in this thread who supported him and those who continue to do so.

Regardless of the alternative, there is no logical argument you can make that his opponent would have made us less secure, less stable, and less respected on the world stage.

[Keep cool-idge]

Donald Trump was my 17th favorite out of 17 Republican candidates, in 2016. I have no personal attachment to the man himself and often find his behavior to be extremely un-presidential and classless. However, he has pursued a far more conservative agenda than I ever imagined that he would, so I don't dismiss him out of hand and no longer consider myself a "Never-Trump" Republican. I would still likely vote for a primary challenger against him in 2020, but would not have much of a problem voting for him in the general.

Same

[here2view]

I’ve never been embarrassed to be an American until Trump won the nomination and was then elected in the general.  I never thought that was a feeling I would experience, and it’s not a good feeling.

I love my country.  But we have made a catastrophic error and it’s one that will haunt us for decades or more.  I can’t blame the majority of Americans, as the majority of us rejected him.  But I can at least blame the people in this thread who supported him and those who continue to do so.

Regardless of the alternative, there is no logical argument you can make that his opponent would have made us less secure, less stable, and less respected on the world stage.

This x100