2016 Trump is different from 2026 Trump. His popularity is 29%; many jumped ship over Epstein and many more over Iran. His core supporters in 2016 are not his core supporters now.
In Q1 2026, Trump was popular with Republicans despite many free speech violations occurring during 2025. His unpopularity started with the Iran war. Republicans were on board with the abuses as long as the targets were libs. He was elected to own the libs. The timeline is clear.
I appreciate your willingness to debate the topic. People like you make HN an interesting place to spend time.