The fever will break

Many of you asked for more details about my hour-long conversation with Fred, a self-described “die-hard Trump guy,” who was outfitted in a Trump hat, shirt and giant belt buckle.

The conversation started over my truck, which is, hands down, the greatest automobile I have ever owned. I love it. It was clear to me that Fred loved his truck as much as I did mine. Both were big Fords.

I asked him about his Marine Corps service, as he had several decals on his vehicle marking it. He was a retired staff sergeant, who left the Marine Corps in 2008. He spent many years deployed. I told him that I grew up in New Jersey, not far from John Basilone’s hometown. There is still a parade every year commemorating his life and achievements. His face lit up with that.

We all make assumptions, don’t we? Here I was, standing beside my giant black Ford Raptor with Utah tags, a 6 foot tall, 220 pound white guy, wearing a University of Iowa hat in Williston, North Dakota.

There is no doubt in my mind that Fred thought I was one of “us,” not one of “them.” Basically, that is how it breaks down. There is always some unnamed force of powerful “they” lurking out there. It’s something that both sides’ “us” agree on.

Certainly, my political views regarding Trump in Williston, North Dakota, place me in a vastly outnumbered political minority. Talking to Fred reminded me that we all live in our bubbles. Seventy-four million Americans voted for Trump. If you never talk to one, then you are isolated from a major faction in the country. I know one thing for sure: after spending an hour with Fred, my analysis of Trump is spot on:

[If you’d prefer to read the transcript, you can do so here.]

Fred believes something powerfully. He believes that “the media” lies to him about everything, and has unfairly assaulted Trump for standing up for him. It is dogma, and it is a belief that is unshakable. His specific example was his witness to a CNN reporter talking about the “peaceful protests” after the George Floyd murder. He recalled watching a reporter telling him that it was peaceful as he watched the city burning.

His take on January 6 was interesting and worth hearing. I broadly agree with it. I think it amplifies the urgency of dealing seriously with the inciters of the event, as opposed to the participants who certainly committed grave offenses that day, but shouldn’t hang alone. Fred mostly regards those people as imbeciles caught up in the moment, and specifically referenced the video of Capitol police ushering them past the checkpoints. He thinks the violence was limited and spontaneous. He doesn’t accept that it was premeditated and had a political intent. I asked Fred if he wanted to kill me or imprison me like his preferred candidate said he would like to do. He was emphatic in his opposition to that Trump promise. He simply doesn’t believe it’s real. He thinks that it is performative bluster and theatrics within a cage match that demands what it demands.

I looked at Fred, and asked him a question. He seemed as pained about it as I was. I asked him what we were going to do about the country, and he said that he didn’t know. I didn’t either. I asked him if we could agree that we didn’t want to fight or kill each other, and he said, “Absolutely.” In fact, he laughed.

I asked if he was open to dumping Trump and moving on. His answer was very simple:

“Yes, but Biden doesn’t run.”

When I asked who he liked, he said Vivek Ramaswamy. I asked him if he thought Vivek would be a good commandant of the Marine Corps. He burst out laughing. I asked if he’d like to be led into combat by Vivek. The answer was “no.” When I respectfully asked why he would want him to be commander in chief, his logic was lacking. Politics isn’t logical. It’s emotional. Always remember that.

Fred was a nice man, like tens of millions of our neighbors, family members, friends and colleagues who support a cause that is immoral, unworthy and un-American. How should we think about them? With anger? Hatred? Venom? Love?

There is no room to compromise over the results of elections. They are what they are. What they are is elemental to the foundation of our American civilization.

Fred said something that was as wise as it was true — and patently obvious. I have written about it before, and likely will again. Fred looked me in the eye, and asked, “If Trump was such a threat to the country, why does Biden want him to be the nominee?” What should I have said to him?

We spent the day on beautiful Mackinac Island, and we were able to check it out on horseback.

My son and I ran the horses a bit on a trail through the forest, where battles were fought during the War of 1812 — or as I tell my beautiful Canadian wife and editor of The Warning, what should be called the “War of Canadian Aggression.”

We came back into town on horseback, and passed an Amish family walking down the road. A Muslim family with women who were covered walked up it. There were gay couples holding hands, bi-racial couples, kids, teenagers, and all sorts of different types of people walking around and having fun. I felt the same way about them as I did Fred. They were my countrymen and countrywomen. They were my fellow Americans. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to help any of them if I could. I think Fred would feel the same way.

The fever will break. We will be okay. Tolerance and respect must be more than words.