In this regard, if in few others, Donald Trump’s parallels with Brexit are justified. The sheer viciousness of some of the people who like to think of themselves as fair-minded liberals tends to boost support for the other side. Just as some Britons voted to leave the EU because they were sick of being patronized and insulted, so some Americans backed the Donald on similar grounds.
The liberal response, in both cases, was to double down: to howl about racism and misogyny and every kind of vice, not knowing or not caring how it came across.
Anyone outside that little virtue-signaling clique is bound to be pushed the other way. Plenty of moderate British conservatives, who until last week detested Trump, will find that their sympathy has been pricked. Stare long enough into the vortex of Twitter and you start to hear the Battle Hymn of the Republic swelling in your mind.
There is going to be a great deal of America-bashing over the next four years; but it will prompt a pro-American backlash. If that means overlooking Donald Trump’s more egregious character flaws, so be it. At least, unlike his predecessor, he seems to like us Brits. The least we can do is to hope for the success of our chief ally.
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