By Bryan S. Jacobson

I voted for Donald J. Trump. Twice.

Like millions of other Americans, I believed in the promise of a stronger border, a revitalized economy, and a return to common sense leadership that prioritized the American worker. I believed in the outsider who would shake up Washington, drain the swamp, and bring order to a system that too often forgets the people it serves.

But today, as I look at the state of our country—and at Trump himself—I can no longer ignore the reality: we made a mistake.

What started as a bold challenge to the political establishment has morphed into something far more dangerous. This is no longer about policy differences or left vs. right. It’s about a man who has become completely untethered from the Constitution, from truth, and from basic human decency. A man who now operates solely on blame, division, and manipulation.

A Dangerous Shift to the Extreme

I once believed Trump would be tough on immigration and help secure our border—and on that single issue, I still believe he had the right instincts. But the man I supported has gone so far off course, he’s barely recognizable anymore. He’s no longer just a conservative; he’s pushing a brand of authoritarian nationalism that frightens even lifelong Republicans like me.

He speaks openly about punishing political opponents, jailing journalists, and purging the government of “disloyal” civil servants. That’s not conservatism—that’s dictatorship.

The Constitution Be Damned

Trump supporters love to wave the Constitution like a badge of honor. But their guy doesn’t care about it. He tried to overturn an election. He pressured state officials to “find votes.” He incited a mob to storm the Capitol. He’s now running for re-election while facing 91 felony counts and still insists he did nothing wrong.

Every time he’s challenged—by the courts, by Congress, by the media—he cries “witch hunt” or “fake news.” He’s never accountable. Never responsible. Always the victim. It’s always Obama’s fault, or Biden’s, or the deep state, or the DOJ, or some imaginary global cabal of enemies “out to get him.”

Even last week, when job numbers came out showing real progress in the economy, he didn’t cheer for America—he called them rigged.

Are we really still falling for this?

A Cult, Not a Movement

What’s more disturbing is how easily we, his supporters, have been hypnotized. We once prided ourselves on critical thinking, on questioning authority, on demanding results. But now, too many of us follow this man blindly. We repeat his lies like gospel. We excuse every scandal, every court case, every temper tantrum, with, “Well, at least he’s not Biden.”

That’s not patriotism. That’s delusion.

It’s cult behavior. And I say this not as an outsider—I say it as someone who used to be inside the tent.

The Lies We Can’t Ignore

Let’s be clear: Trump is a chronic liar. From claiming he had the largest inauguration crowd in history, to saying COVID would “just disappear,” to hiding hush money payments, to lying about classified documents being his “personal property,” his dishonesty knows no bounds. There’s a trail of lawsuits, bankruptcies, broken promises, and half-truths that go back decades.

He doesn’t lie like a politician—he lies like a con man.

And what scares me most is that he’s damn good at it.

The Indulge Debacle: More Proof of Chaos

If you need more evidence of how this dangerous blend of power and ego infects everything it touches, look no further than the recent fiasco surrounding Elon Musk’s “Indulge” event. Marketed as a game-changing cultural summit, it collapsed into a PR disaster filled with broken promises, baffling logistics, and outright chaos.

Guess who was quick to insert himself, stir the pot, and then distance himself when it all fell apart?

He praised Musk beforehand, called the event “brilliant,” and then—when it became clear it was a humiliating mess—he shifted the blame, made cryptic remarks about sabotage, and again acted like a victim. It was textbook Trump: hype, chaos, deflection.

“Indulge” became a microcosm of the Trump playbook—grand promises, public manipulation, and zero accountability when it inevitably flames out. And like clockwork, his followers swallowed it without question.

A Country More Divided Than Ever

We are more divided today than at any time in modern history. And while Trump didn’t create our political rift, he’s poured gasoline on it at every turn. Instead of bringing Americans together, he’s built his brand on division and vengeance. If you’re not with him, you’re the enemy.

Is this really who we want leading the free world?

It’s Time for Accountability

I know some of you reading this will say I’m a RINO, or a traitor, or that I’ve “fallen for the liberal media.” But deep down, I think many of you know what I know:

We were wrong.

We let our anger, our fears, and our frustrations convince us that this man was the answer. But he’s not. He’s the problem.

Trump has proven, again and again, that he will say and do anything to serve himself—not America. And if we send him back to the White House, we won’t just be making a mistake.

We’ll be complicit in the destruction of the very democracy we claim to love.

It’s time we stop lying to ourselves.

We put a liar in the White House. Let’s not do it again.