The far right has always been with us, of course. But the intersection of the rise of the puritan left and the creation of the internet made it possible for extremists to proliferate and become more transgressive. Outrageous words and behavior became evidence of sincere and authentic opposition to the left. MAGA learned to embrace, or at least not to condemn, Hitler, because he wasn’t as bad as Joe Biden.
Trump has always indulged the neo-Nazis in the GOP. His willingness to shatter norms, after all, made him a role model for the extremists, whose votes were needed to defeat the left. Will J.D. follow the same path? The most recent evidence suggests that the answer is yes.