As a response to Joe Biden’s staggering number of endorsements from Republicans (including some from people that worked in the Trump White House), I sometimes see questions from Republicans asking “Why are so many prominent Republicans not voting for Trump?”
For Republicans, voting for Trump should be about as appealing as injecting bleach (also, Trump’s Coronavirus cure).
–For social conservatives, he’s a thrice married sex addict whose personal attorney went to jail for paying hush money to porn stars, picked Melania out of a catalogue (and this is if you ignore the rumors she was an Eastern Block prostitute when he met her), was pro-choice and anti-gun until he ran for President, talked about eventually marrying a random ten-year-old girl he saw, talks about dating his own daughter (and tried to maker her VP), “P**** grab” tape, a separate P-tape that supposedly exists, said avoiding an STD at Club 54 was “his Vietnam,” and could not name his favorite passage of the Bible OR any passage of the Bible.
–For business Republicans, he bankrupted on casinos (didn’t know this was possible), hides his tax returns like there’s a dead body in them, was considered “radioactive” by Goldman Sachs, had to turn to Russia because American banks wouldn’t lend him money anymore, had his charity forcibly dissolved due to fraud, had Trump University forcibly dissolved due to fraud, has been sued 1200 times in civil court (mostly for screwing people over), has had countless people around him indicted or jailed, and has completely wrecked Obama’s boom economy. Even before Coronavirus, Trump’s erratic actions—trade wars, tariffs, demanding the Treasury get a “cut” if Microsoft bought TikTok, blasting his own Federal Reserve Chairman (that he appointed)—created economic chaos. And even though people point to the stock market returns, those were from tech companies—a sector Trump had nothing to do with and did better when he left it alone. The industries he directly meddled in (retail, agriculture, manufacturing, steel, car companies other than Tesla) have seen stock market losses.
–For national security Republicans, Trump is a Russian-asset who doesn’t believe in NATO, the United Nations, an international order where the US rules, the G7, honoring American agreements (Cuba, Iran Deal, Paris Climate Accords), American troops in Germany, not taking a photo op with Russian spies in the Oval Office, doing something about Russian bounties on US troops, the FBI, the CIA, American intelligence agencies generally, supporting American prisoners of war, and not asking China for election help (what he was impeached over).
–And some of his strongest support comes from Tea Party or Freedom Caucus “Constitutional Republicans” which makes no sense at all. Trump hates checks and balances, hasn’t read the constitution, has been impeached for breaking the law, has had the most indicted and jailed inner circle in US history (three separate campaign managers, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, George Papadoupolus, Roger Stone), has repeatedly said he won’t accept the result of an election he loses (both in 2016 and 2020), and won’t commit to a peaceful transition of power or ANY transition of power.
The real question is “Why are some Republicans voting FOR Trump?”