President Donald Trump has turned the entire nation upside down, shaking us vigorously and watching all our human and economic and resources fall on the ground like money out of a pocket.

We have become a nation Trump uses to serve his interest only, and his interest centers around money and power. “The Apprentice” is in charge, and we are imploding from within. Most of our allies around the world view us as a bunch of crazies going over the cliff.

Now, it is indisputable that the president will lie when cornered. He got caught eliciting support from a foreign country to get some dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Trump challenger for the 2020 election, so he lied about several aspects of the situation.

Trump referred to whoever gave information to a whistleblower as a “spy” and a threat to the nation’s security, which is another lie. The unnamed whistleblower had expressed concerns about Trump’s demand that other nations investigate Biden.

Trump then accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., of treason, another unsupported and feeble attempt to deflect from his own scandals.

Yet, amazingly, with all this president has dragged our nation through, the national Republican Party, many evangelical Christians, and others comprising his “base” still support him, although the block is beginning to crack.

Why? We can look to two very different local individuals in an attempt to understand this irrational behavior.

Let’s start with former Bordentown Township chief of police and township administrator Frank Nucera Jr., who called the current president “the last hope for white people,” according to recorded evidence in Nucera’s federal trial on hate crime and assault charges. Witnesses also indicated that he disparaged his police department subordinates, managing by fear and intimidation. Nucera is also charged with assaulting a black suspect who was under arrest at a hotel.

The ex-chief seemingly believed he was untouchable and could do or say anything he wanted, consumed by the power he held over others. Remind you of anyone?

Importantly, no higher-ranking Bordentown government official took any action after listening to lower-ranking police officers complain about Nucera’s behavior. One officer, who had served under him for 18 years, stated at the trial, “I had lost all trust and confidence in the process.” He stated that complaining officers had received no help from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, giving them no option but to seek help from federal authorities.

Situations like the one described above denote a very serious problem. a segment of the white community that makes up Trump’s base that is willing to ignore his racism, his sexism, his inability to manage properly, and his lies. They apparently believe — like Nucera — that Trump is their last hope to retain power.

On the other end of the spectrum is first-term U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-2nd Dist., who acts like a Republican despite operating under the “Democrat” banner.

Now, there is nothing wrong with being a Republican. There are some very good ones. Jeff Flake, the former Arizona U.S. senator, has demonstrated the moral sensibility, ethics and political savvy to be admired. He was real, embracing traditional GOP values. When he could not do so any longer, he left the arena with his head held high.

But don’t fake being a Democrat to get the resources needed to get elected, and then spew rhetoric similar to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., while grandstanding on “Fox & Friends.” Van Drew, who still opposes the Trump impeachment inquiry, said on the program, “It (impeachment) would split the country, hurt constituents at the end of the day and reduce or negate work accomplished by this Congress.” The congressman also said that impeachment is something that “usually happens in third world countries.”

Van Drew’s “Fox & Friends” appearance earned a personal “attaboy” tweet from Trump, who must have been watching. If the congressman has not noticed, the nation is already split, and had been split since the first day Trump took office — because many believe he is an illegitimate president.

A reasonable person must conclude that Russia using its resources to meddle in any U.S. election is unwanted and undesirable. Van Drew’s comment that only third-world countries impeach their leaders is right out of the Trump book of craziness. Impeachment is a process afforded by the U.S. Constitution, and it has been used in our nation’s recent past.

We are described perfectly by philosopher Soren Kierkegaard when he said, “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” That pretty sums up where we are as a nation.

Milton W. Hinton Jr. is retired as director of equal opportunity for the Gloucester County government, and is past president of the Gloucester County Branch NAACP. Email: miltonw@imap.cc

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