@Heraclitus
I think you raise two very good points.

1. People hear what they want to went tRump talks. Unfortunately, the ugly factions of our society (and our government) are looking for justifications for their behaviour (behaviour that was previously unacceptable).
   I don't consider myself an 'accelerationist' but I'm afraid a lot of our government won't recover until it's rebuilt almost entirely from scratch. There's a lot of ugly to get rid of.

And
2. It's amazing what people -- especially tRump -- can get away with saying these days. Leaders don't expect to be held to anything -- they fully plan on being able to disavow it all later.
Confidence and trust in our leaders and our society can be lost pretty much instantly. But it's going to be a huge amount harder getting it back.

I've been registered Republican for years. Mathematically to me it seems slightly more effective to vote against people in primaries than for people (as if there was much difference anyway). Ha, ha.

I wholeheartedly agree with you especially about Reagan.
He was a consummate American 'conservative ' -- all illusion and little if any substance.

He taught a lesson to the right wing. As long as no external catastrophes come along and require actual work, you can get away with anything. You can bumble through and the sheep will think you were a hero.

@RichCC

If you listen to his old speeches Reagan never really said much of substance. It was most always rah rah. A pep rally, not a grown up conversation. He does have a few quotable statements, but very few.

Not only that, he surrounded himself with people who were supposed experts in their respective areas. He then stepped back and gave them their head. In this way he was the first to use the term, "plausible deniabilty". He could claim innocence because, after all they were the experts and he put his trust in them. Thus, Olie North and Iran Counta Affair.

The difference with Trump is that insists upon inserting himself into every thing that goes on. He doesn't trust the people he appoints. Unfortunately, he's not as intelligent as Reagan ( which doesnt speak too well for him). But it also means he cannot claim plausible deniability.

@t1nick
And tRump is a born & bred grifter. He is a wannabe mobster who thinks he can take anything he wants anytime.

One of my brothers knew Carter Vanderbilt in college. For whatever reason they happened to take a cab one day in NYC and the fare was a nickel short of an even bill. Carter paid the cabbie and stood there and waited for the 5 cents change.
I guess it was a life changing realization for my brother. Anyone can be rich but you have to be able to chase every penny -- all the time.

Thats the way the current administration is. They want money now -- no matter what the amount is or the consequences are (for others) or the moral implications are.

@t1nick Reagan actually did have some conservative concepts, in the old fashioned meaning of the word. He was a fairly decent individual and believed in treating people well. He even believed in Social Security.
He would never have indulged in such arrogant and selfish behavior as Trump, and he certainly never belittled others the way this one does. Did he engage in the rough & tumble of politics? Of course, but he didn't disrespect his opponents as human beings.

@Paul4747

I agree with him being a decent guy. But he wasn't an intellect in any form of the word. He was different than Trump in most aspects. Still he was more of a cheer leader than a thinker.

Part of his problem and his saving was Nancy. She directed a lot of foreign policy behind the scenes. I still remember when she brought in an astrologer to read the future so they could determine the way to pursue a policy decision.