I living in a Republican part of the country, I think they believe power is its own morality.

A God that murders people because his feelings got hurt while demanding no one murder, a husband beats his wife and kids because he wasn't respected - these are valid in their moral framework, cruel asymmetrical power structures.

There is a dominant race, a dominant gender, and a dominant country in their view. Laws exist only to control the weak.

These people love Trump because he represents the slave owning, male-dominated, terrorist rebels that form the myth of who we are as a nation. His corruption and enrichment is why they love him.

Trump is almost amoral. It’s why he can’t understand at a basic level why his corruption would even be considered a scandal at all. In his mind, of course I’m using the presidency to enrich myself, my family, and my friends; that’s the whole point of gaining power. Of course I’m selling presidential pardons for cash, what’s the point of getting access to that power if I don’t sell my access to it.

I noticed the same patterns in my religious family. I live in a largely secular country, and the only people I know who talk down on “other people” all claim to be religious.