Why does he give succor to white nationalists? Same reason he befriends strongmen: These people love him, so they must be "very fine people," as Trump said after Charlottesville.

Why does he constantly lie to boost himself and use his public office to boost his private fortune? As was once said of General Motors: What's good for Trump is good for the country.

He softened on North Korea after its dictator flattered him in "love letters." He let nationalist Benjamin Netanyahu have free rein in exchange for such things as naming a fictitious Israeli village after Trump. He blew up an international communique and canceled a trip to Denmark because of perceived personal slights. He shoved a prime minister blocking him from the front row of a photo.

Questioning another American's patriotism (Trump routinely accuses critics of "treason") can be an ugly business. I've reserved this for two: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., (who happily has since retreated from his refusal to protect U.S. elections from foreign tampering) and Trump.

Calling a genuine war hero, John McCain, a "loser," resisting honors for him at death and continuing to attack him posthumously is not patriotic.