That’s giving them too much credit. Between Trump and social media, the shitbags successfully normalized (and commoditized) pride in being a shitbag. Once suffrage for women and “the negro” was normalized, there was a certain line that was toed in public. If you crossed that line all your fellow shitbags would distance themselves to avoid the blast radius of press coverage and public outrage. Politicians were notorious for this.

Fast forward to today. Trump is a shitty person in power who can be as shitty as he wants with no consequences. His party runs on grievance politics rooted in long simmering resentment. His very existence unites them because he is crass, uncultured, uneducated, and untouchable. Their role model is nothing but grievances, croneyism, financial fraud, and kid diddling. The first is the only thing that matters. The second and third are hand waved as his right for being successful. The kid diddling is being repeatedly buried in the press cycle because it’s one of the few things that can still unite the country and turn you into a pariah.