You’re describing the Republican politicians. The Republican voters are a different bag entirely.

Out of the ones I have discussed politics with, their underlying motivations for supporting Trump are emotionally driven but explained through rhetoric aligning with their emotional motivations. It tends to be grouped into one of a few different feelings:

• cost of living/financial security — immigrants’ fault, taxes, foreign nations taking advantage of US generosity
• fear of change/bigotry — immigrants, “DEI”, “wokeness”, border security
• American exceptionalism/egotism — immigrants, 1st ammendment
• distrust of federal government — “DEI”, government corruption, regulatory overreach, socialism = communism
• distrust of industry — vaccines harmful, science bad

Aside from the bigotry and exceptionalism, those emotions aren’t necessarily wrong. Cost of living increases, politicians owned by lobbyists, and profit-driven privatization of essential services are actual problems. The issue with conservatives is that they have scapegoats to blame those problems on instead of acknowledging the underlying causes. All it takes is some loudmouth, ignorant jackass offering an overly-simplified, emotionally-compelling solution to a complex problem, and others will latch on to it, oversimplify and exaggerate it even more, and disseminate it until the rest of them start believing it.

People can be hateful, narcissistic pieces of shit, and it goes without saying that this repugnant rhetoric is spread intentionally. But, it’s also a direct consequence of a public education system failing among a landscape of patriotic propaganda and media controlled by a powerful few who put profit and self-gain above the health of society.

When someone grows up being told America is a flawless nation, is never educated to think critically of the government and media, and is bombarded by a neverending stream of false information that validates their fears and lulls them into feel smarter than everyone else, they end up being indoctrinated into the right-wing cult we have today.