What you said might have been true when Trump was first elected, in 2016. Claiming that Trump is for smaller government or anti corruption is ignoring what happened 2016 - 2022.

Is it though? In this media environment there’s not a lot of subtlety and honest conversation between differing viewpoints, and the vast majority of people believe what they’re told so, is it really _our_ fault?

There are lots of good people on the Republican side of the aisle. Liz Cheney, Bill Kristol, and everyone involved with the Lincoln Project.

Trump's admiration of Vladimir Putin should make Republicans realize what America could have become if he had succeeded in defeating democracy on January 6th, 2021. That might restore the Republican party to former levels of honesty. And even sanity.