Many Democrats, independents and even people who consider themselves not political struggle to understand how Republicans can support former President Donald Trump for reelection. Trump has demonstrated that he is a habitual liar with both narcissistic and misogynistic behavior. However, it doesn’t seem to bother his Republican followers — not just MAGA Republicans but government leaders such as Sens. Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell and Ted Cruz.

I too used to be bewildered at how so many logical and well-educated people could follow a man who is an expert at creating division between the American people. It simply didn’t make sense. I would observe the smiling faces and clapping hands behind him at his rallies. Many wearing red baseball caps bearing his slogan “Make America Great Again” (as an African-American male whose grandparents left the South due to Jim Crow, I struggle to understand when this period of “greatness” occurred in our history, but that is a conversation for another day). I never had an issue with Republicans before Trump’s presidency. I’ve always thought that diversity of thought is good and leads to effective democracy. I may not have always agreed with all Republican viewpoints, but I respected the different perspectives. After all, that is the idealistic essence of America — the freedom to have different thoughts and viewpoints for a heterogeneous society with coalescing ideas.

Trump has not supported anything that strays from his often nonsensical and devoid-of-truth statements. However, he is still the Republican nominee for president. What I have come to realize is that for a majority of Republicans in positions of power, Trump’s flaws, convictions and history of sexual assault and tax fraud are irrelevant. Strategically, Republicans are playing the long game. As long as Trump supports their agenda his personal character flaws are irrelevant. His nomination of conservative Supreme Court justices, massive tax breaks for wealthy individuals and his support for ending diversity, equity and inclusion efforst fall in line with the Republican agenda. So, no matter what Trump says or does, it doesn’t really matter since it doesn’t impact the agenda.

Whether you support their politics or not, Republicans maintain a tight solidarity and a unified voice. The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was a perfect but not singular example. Many Republican leaders on camera said it wasn’t an insurrection and that it wasn’t as bad as the supposedly “fake news” media made it out to be. However, anyone with at least one good eye (and I have two) who watched the terrifying incident could not truly say in good conscience that it was a peaceful event. And yet the Republicans stand unified behind Trump in his claim that it was “a beautiful day” in which people were “hugging and kissing each the police.”

It makes sense for the Republicans strategically to stay unified behind, Trump, their leader. At the end of the day, with Trump’s age, even if he does become president again, it will be only four years. Then, a younger Republican presidential candidate could succeed Trump while continuing to push the agenda. Although I can’t fault the logic behind this, I really don’t know how these people sleep at night. History will not be kind to them.

Arik Darnell Brown (arik.d.brown@gmail .com) is an electromagnetics expert who lives in Baltimore County.