UnfairRepresent posted... This feels No True Scotsman to me.
If the American Government takes actions and the American people support it, you can't turn around and say "They're not True Americans because I say so."
You say "little cult" but where is the opposition? Where are the 3 million people bursting into Aligator Alcatraz and freeing the captives? Why do Republicans have the senate, social media, major news networks and dominate the popular vote?
At some point you have to acklowedge the reality that Trump as evil as he is, is not in any way special or remarkable as a human being. He's a symptom, not a cause of all these problems and the cause is that most of America either directly supports or doesn't oppose these actions.
I don't think there is a way to make excuses this time. Even making excuses in 2016 was a hard sell.
Maybe you're right. IMO if you're against everything America ever stood for (except on the occasion it benefits you personally) then I don't consider any possibility that you can be a "true" patriot.