I normally don’t visit discussion web pages where there are opportunities to get into “debates” with totally unreasonable Trump supporters. What’s the point? It is hard, if not impossible to argue with people who are not living in the real world. Heck, I would rather hang around in the progressive echo chambers where most people are sane, even if my personal views are almost never challenged and my latent combative tendencies grow dormant.
However, occasionally I will venture forth and post into Facebook groups where Trump adorers and explainers are not booted out the second their true allegiances are revealed. And yes, I do occasionally have a little fun by engaging in discussions about Trump with one of more of his ardent supporters in these groups. Many years ago, I was on our high school’s debate team, and I haven’t totally lost of those skills. In addition, the “Trumpsplainers” (as I call them) are trying to defend the indefensible so it usually isn’t a fair fight, but they don’t lack enthusiasm. In addition, they all evidently have been glued to FOX News where they have learned that the best way to defend Trump is not to attempt to defend him, but instead to counterattack Democrats such as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
However, if you want to shut them down early, all you have to do is ask them how they feel about Trump’s very public bromance with Vladimir Putin and the Russians. You see, the vast majority of Trump supporters, before Trump burst onto the scene, hated the Russians and regarded Putin as a dictator determined to deprive the Russian people of the rights that Americans enjoy everyday. They also know that Putin has grown extremely rich by abusing his power. To these people Putin used to be the very essence of evil.
Consequently, they really don’t understand (who does) why Trump has refused to criticize the Russian President and seems more than ready to get in bed him. Deep down Trump’s statements and behavior on that topic bothers the hell out of them so they would rather not think about the subject, much less plan how to defend Trump if and when the subject comes up. Oh, that doesn’t mean they won’t have a pat come back, but it won’t be to defend Trump’s Russian ties. Typically they will turn instead to diversion if the subject comes up.
Predictably, they will deflect with “Well Obama didn’t do ….” or “Hillary did…”, usually having something to do with Putin or the Russian. Just don’t get deflected. Simply respond by saying something like: Don’t change the subject. “Barack Obama is no longer President (Or Hillary isn’t the President); we were discussing Trump. Why does he seem to love the Russians? How do you explain why he has been so friendly to Putin when everyone knows Putin is a sworn enemy of our country? What do you think is going on?” Typically they will try to deflect several more times, or perhaps use other tactics. However, if you keep driving them back to the original question, they will eventually go silent – sullenly silent, but silent.
Some people might thing that’s a little unfair, asking people to answer unanswerable questions, asking them to defend the undefendable, but not me. Who cares? Trumpsplainers are totally unreasonable people who need to be constantly reminded that their support the worst President of the United States in this country’s history will not go unchallenged.
Cajun 9/1/2017