(Please note, if you don’t listen to the podcast, you’re not getting the full story!)

WOWZERS.

Did you read or listen to TR 685 - Have We Been Betrayed by Trump?

A lot of people have, and the feedback has been wild.

I’d anticipated some pushback, maybe a little hate-mail, even a heavy dose of rejection; but I’d also figured there would be a certain degree of agreement and appreciation in the audience.

Both assumptions turned out to be correct.

I’d like to pause for a second and reflect on what that means—the fact that I’ve been both praised and berated for stating that I, personally, feel betrayed by Trump.

It implies that there is a large number of people who agree on many things; a large cohort of conservative Americans who share a deep love for our Constitutional Republic; people from all walks of life, from business owners to bartenders and everyone in between, who together form a substantial group of regular everyday Americans who adamantly agree that our nation is in desperate need of fixing.

We are the group, some 77 million strong, who elected Donald Trump.

Typically, this group likes each other. They hang out. They talk. They text.

They laugh at the same “politically incorrect” jokes.

They don’t flinch when someone quotes Blazing Saddles:

“Where all the white women at?”

This group consists of family, friends, neighbors and coworkers, we form an unofficial network of smiling faces, silent nods, and quiet knowing throughout the community.

(For the record, this group is also our safety net if s**t ever really hits the fan.)

Practically speaking, this group constitutes the bulk of our political allies in the ongoing culture war. This is the group that united in 2023 to elect Donald Trump, for the third time. We came together in historic numbers all across the nation, in big cities and small towns, in churches and in bars, and stood together to put a big, fat middle finger straight in the face of the political establishment.

Enter Trump’s third term.

Those who voted, voted, and voted again for Donald Trump were absolutely PUMPED when he finally took office. After the 2020 election was stolen in the dark of night, Trump’s triumphant return to the White House felt like a pivotal point in American history. The excitement was visceral and palpable, all across the fruited plains.

We, as a group, wholeheartedly believed in Donald Trump. We believed that he was the best man for the job, by far. Kamala Harris? Joe Biden? Are you kidding me?!

Donald Trump is a businessman. He’s been successful longer than I have been alive. He’s written several books, had his own TV show, and built a real estate empire—specifically by being a tough negotiator. In short, Donald Trump has a track record of getting results, and that is exactly the kind of man we needed in the White House.

Clearly Trump has the chops to be President of the United States.

Who else can compare, really? I’m being serious here. He’s a remarkable man.

Sure, he’s a little rough around the edges and can be crass at times—but isn’t that part of the allure, that he’s not just another slick, fast-talking politician?

Yes, of course he’s had some unflattering moments in the past—but haven’t we all?

Those of us who have stood by Trump through thick and thin have not been blind to the man’s imperfections. Instead, we’ve weighed it all out, and like I was saying yesterday, the good far outweighs the bad. We chose to see and appreciate the humanity in the man, rather than get all riled up by every scandal the Dems cooked up.

We all know that crazy lefties have been flinging mud at Trump since the day he came down the escalator. We all know the media has been relentless in their blatant lies, twisted stories, and relentless anti-Trump propaganda. We’ve long been keen to the RINO Republican establishment that’s tried to undermine him from day one.

That’s why we elected him the first time, to “drain the swamp,” remember?

So, just to check-in real quick: We are all in the same group still, right?

(If what I’ve just said resonates with you, then you’re in the group!)

With all that said, having established that we’re all on the same team, I’d like to move forward with humility and attempt to reconcile a couple of the divisions that are currently festering within the group. Whether you agree or disagree, I believe that it is vitally important that we understand where both sides are coming from.

Before I get started, please keep one simple fact front and center:

We’re all in this together.

I don’t mean that in a kumbaya sort of way.

I mean that in the most practical sense imaginable.

There is SO much at stake right now, regarding the future of our country. In fact, the stakes could not be higher. I firmly believe that the next several years are going to either make or break our country. Either the American experiment will overcome the forces of global domination and we will continue to live as free human beings; or, if we fail to stand together as a group, or if the group gets swept up into supporting a previously unacceptable agenda, then our country will be forever transformed into the inescapable socialist digital gulag the global elite have planned for us.

Those who want to continue living in freedom, who want their children and grandchildren to thrive in a free and prosperous society, must never lose sight of this bigger picture. As I’ve discussed many times before, there are dark forces stacked against us, and if we lay it all out on the table, the future looks daunting.

But alas, that’s not the point here today. Please don’t forget that despite all that is going on in the world, life is still fundamentally good—so don’t forget to live it well.

Along those lines, I’d like to share a recent experience with you.

The best defense of Trump, ever.

As it happened, the other night I found myself engaged in an emotionally charged discussion of current events with a very dear friend. This is an individual for whom I have deep appreciation and complete respect, someone whom I love and have forged a bond with through countless conversations that span over two decades.

When I brought up Trump’s Easter Sunday post, it was immediately apparent that we did not feel the same way about it. As the conversation stretched into the Epstein Files and the war in Iran, the disagreement became even stronger. I’d say that without so many years of love and respect between us, the conversation most certainly would have derailed and things would have ended in a tailspin.

Fortunately that didn’t happen, and I came away with greater clarity on why so many people feel so strongly about Trump, and so offended when someone like me starts challenging his intentions. During the course of debate, my dear friend gave the most passionate defense of Donald Trump I have ever heard, laying out a comprehensive and intelligent perspective that is undeniably shared by millions of people.

Nobody could have said it better or with greater conviction.

Out of respect, I listened. In the end, I learned.

Though I was ultimately unpersuaded, it left me with plenty of food for thought (fueling this report). By the end of the night we had hugged it out and moved on to lighter topics. The disagreement was strong, but we were still on the same team.

This is a good lesson, is it not?

It’s okay to disagree.

Let’s zoom out.

In Torch Report 685, I stated that I personally feel betrayed by Donald Trump.

Do I still feel that way today? Yes I do.

I will explain exactly why in a moment.

Much of my friend’s defense of Trump revolved around the fact that I don’t have all the information and I can’t possibly see the whole picture, therefore I cannot understand what Trump is going through or why he’s making the decisions that he is.

On it’s face, this is true.

Indeed, I was told by more than one person that I shouldn’t be rushing to judgment. Some people said I must be listening to too much mainstream media. Others suggested that I might have succumbed to some sort of psyop, that perhaps I was being deceptively misled into questioning Trump’s motives.

The implication here, which is critical, is that I have been listening to the wrong voices, watching the wrong news, or reading the wrong sources. After all, what else could account for my sudden departure from the general group consensus?

That’s a reasonable assumption, but here’s the thing:

When I sat down to write that report, I was only listening to one voice, and that was my own. Taking a full year off, detoxing from the daily news, I came to relish the peace of mind and more fruitful focus that naturally flows in the absence of relentless propaganda. Contrary to popular opinion, my mind has not been immersed or misled by the ever changing stories that are being pumped out every news cycle.

Rather than follow the various narratives over the last year, I’ve only caught snippets here and there from what family and close friends have shared with me. This gave me a different vantage point, allowing me to see things from a different angle. Rather than filtering information through the media matrix, I was getting raw data on how these stories were impacting the people I personally knew.

That is a very d...