Re: Interestingly,
They knew he was a narcissistic megalomaniac with delusional tendencies, and so kept him well fed with praise, flattery, conspiracy theories, and childish memes.
Anyone else that had seen him for a while knew what he was, the Republicans just gaslit themselves into thinking those were all good and desireable things.
Everyone else knew just how this would go, and tried to warn folks, but no, they were sure they knew best.