Why Trump's unwavering approval rating is terrifying for our democracy

Trump supporters, aka MAGA supporters, baffle me.

They're reminiscent of a car wreck. You know it's wrong, and yet each time, you slow down just enough to witness the wreckage. You're perplexed... but also a little intrigued. Perhaps my bemusement comes from the fact, that regardless of the negative information surrounding our president, his supporters continue to remain loyal.

According to a FiveThirtyEight's poll tracker, Trump held a 41.3 percent approval rating and a 54.2 percent disapproval rating in 2019. One year later, his approval rating remains somewhat unaltered, at 42.2 percent approval and 54.3 percent disapproval. Despite an impeachment, a nationwide movement protesting racial justice, and a global pandemic claiming the lives of more than 226,000 Americans, it would seem Trump can do no wrong.

After a MAGA rally in Omaha, NE Tuesday evening, hundreds of Trump supporters were left stranded in the cold while awaiting for buses to transport them back to their cars from Omaha's Eppley Airfield. At least seven attendees were taken to the hospital.

According to attendees and reporters, crowds from the rally didn't fully clear until after 12:30 a.m. That's more than 3.5 hours after Trump departed on Air Force One. The president literally left hundreds of supporters stranded in the cold, and yet they still continue to chant: "Make America great again," as if their lives depended on it.

The Trump Campaign said they initially provided enough buses for attendees, and the confusion was a result of traffic on the two-lane road outside the airport after the rally.

Typical.

Rather than apologize for endangering the lives of numerous Americans - yet again - the Trump administration continues to direct blame elsewhere. I honestly don't think Trump can even utter an apology. It's probably non-existing within his vocabulary.

But this is nothing new. In fact, it's extremely on-brand for Trump. Make a mistake, blame someone else. So why do many Americans continue to praise and worship him? This has been a monumental year for Trump and not in a good way. However, the personal and political opinions surrounding him haven't altered much.

Why is that?

According to research from Pew Research Center, White Christians continue to favor Trump over Biden. Among White Catholic voters, Trump is ahead of Biden by 8%, with a total of 52% saying they would vote for Trump over Biden.

Trump's unwavering approval rating doesn't just leave skepticism in regards to our political climate. It raises the question of whether democracy exists at all in America. Over the last four years, we've witnessed an extreme abuse of power from the president. Abuse of power that not even his Republican predecessors managed to get away with. So when I continue hearing the term, "no one is above the law," it makes me wonder if perhaps the law favors Trump.

Or at least the money which comes from him. But more importantly, why don't MAGA voters see this abuse of power for what it plainly is?

The other night, I posted a story to my Facebook page on why Amy Coney Barrett is not the answer for this country. Almost immediately, I received a comment from my uncle, who blatantly criticized my piece and attacked my political views. My uncle, who I'm in no way close to, is a staunch Trump supporter. His beliefs are his own, but at the end of the day, the support for those beliefs is backed by inaccurate information most-likely gathered from Fox News.

I wouldn't be surprised if Tucker Carlson were his idol, second to Trump.

My uncle's comments on my article resulted in a tiresome back and forth which led nowhere. Now, I'm all for healthy debating. In fact, I enjoy a good debate every now and then, granted the information my opponent spews is backed by rational and accurate facts.

My uncle's was not. This inevitably led to me blocking him and continuing my night with a very tall glass of wine.

This isn't the first conversation I've had with a Trump supporter. In fact, it was one of many. The trend I've noticed among all conversations is the inability for his supporters to admit the president's mistakes. Synonymous to Trump, his supporters will retaliate with utter nonsense, avoiding any acknowledgement to actual facts.

These similarities are very eerie.

Predominately because it gives enlightening insight into where our country stands in terms of values, but also our democracy. If an impeachment, 226,000 deaths and a vast unemployment rate can't jolt some semblance of sense into Trump's supporters, what will?

We're all entitled to our personal and political views. That's what makes this country, at least the America I love and not the one stained with Trump's radical leadership, so great. We're a diverse country with diverse views. But when you peel back our differing beliefs, we're all American.

Because of that, we should want someone to lead our country with that same level of understanding and integrity. So my plea to Trump supporters is to truly examine Trump's views and track record. Do they really align with the America you want to live in? And if they do, maybe its time to question your alliance.