Ray Mariano: Trump's supporters exist only to be of service to Trump

Donald Trump doesn’t care what happens to those who follow him. His supporters exist for a single purpose — to be of service to Donald Trump.

Trump watched as they stormed the Capitol carrying his flag into battle and he loved it. Hundreds lost their jobs and had their lives upended. They were arrested, prosecuted and sent to prison and he never felt a second of remorse. Then he used their pain and suffering to serve his own ends. He called them hostages and made himself the victim.

He said that he hopes the stock market crashes while Joe Biden is president so that he doesn’t have to take the blame — so that it won’t happen on his watch, after he gets elected. He’s actually rooting for our country to face a financial disaster because he knows it will help his chances of becoming president.

It doesn’t matter to him that millions of his supporters — hard-working Americans — could have their life savings wiped out. He couldn't care less if plumbers and carpenters lose a good portion of their retirement funds. He doesn’t care because it serves his own selfish purpose. He knows that his followers love him, if you can call that kind of sick idolatry love. So he says what he’s thinking out loud and tells his followers it’s all for the greater good — for the benefit of Trump.

He didn’t care if people who were ill or elderly died on their way to the caucuses in Iowa. He told them to brave the unspeakably cold weather and defy their health conditions so that they could vote for him. “Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it,” he told them. And they believed him.

He uses everyone around him whenever it suites his needs.

When his mother-in-law died, he used her death to make himself the victim. He told judges that he couldn’t be in court to face fraud charges and for defaming a woman that he sexually assaulted. It made no difference that he wasn’t required to be in court. He said he needed to be with his beloved wife in her time of need and mourning — the same wife that he cheated on repeatedly and then humiliated when the sordid details of his affairs became public. Even his wife exists only to serve Trump.

Everyone is measured by their value to Trump. When he hires them, they are the greatest of the great — superstars. Then when he fires them or they walk away from him, they are incompetent losers or worse.

In Congress

He told his friends in Congress and Speaker Mike Johnson not to make a deal with Democrats to secure America’s Southern border. It doesn’t matter that America is facing a crisis at its border. He knows that fixing the problem will greatly diminish his chances of getting back to the Oval Office. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate were on the verge of agreeing to the toughest, most conservative border security deal in our country’s history. But that deal doesn’t suite Trump’s purpose and so his supporters in the House and Senate resist — all in service of Trump.

Trump doesn’t care about the pain and suffering of those who come to America seeking a better life. Why should he? If he doesn’t care about average Americans, why would he care for those who come here from foreign countries? He loves that the country is facing a crisis at our Southern border and he wants it to continue to increase his chances on Election Day.

And Trump couldn't care less that vital aid to Israel or Ukraine is being held up while Congress wrangles over a border deal. He doesn’t care because helping them has nothing to do with helping Trump.

Trump repeatedly told the Chaos Caucus in the House of Representatives that he didn’t want them to make a deal to keep the government open. He wanted it shut down. It didn’t matter to him that thousands of federal employees would have been furloughed and thousands more, including members of the military, would have been forced to work without pay, and that important government services would stop. If the government dissolves into chaos, it serves Trump’s purpose.

Trump stokes their anger

Like Trump, his supporters refuse to accept responsibility for any problems facing our country. Trump tells them that it’s someone else’s fault. He gives them permission to direct their anger and life frustrations at others — while he seeks revenge and retribution on their behalf.

He gives them permission to hate people of color and blame them for most of society’s ills. He gives them permission to hate Arabs and says that undocumented immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” He tells them that Democrats are really commies and socialists in disguise who want nothing more than to destroy our country.

Again, it’s all in service to Trump. He knows that if his supporters are angry, they will follow him and allow him to do whatever he wants. They see his willingness to break the rules, as strength which he can then use on their behalf. But Trump only serves himself.

Trump supporters say that they want to take the country back to a different time, an idyllic time, when America was truly great. Ironically, the time they aspire to was a time when American leaders put service to country first. But Trump knows nothing about serving his country and he calls those who do suckers and losers. For Trump, the MAGA movement has nothing to do with America or the American people. It’s all about Trump.

Email Raymond V. Mariano at rmariano.telegram@gmail.com. He served four terms as mayor of Worcester and previously served on the City Council and School Committee. He grew up in Great Brook Valley and holds degrees from Worcester State College and Clark University. He was most recently executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority. His column appears weekly in the Sunday Telegram. His endorsements do not necessarily reflect the position of the Telegram & Gazette.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Ray Mariano on Trump supporters existing only to serve Donald Trump