That’s what I was saying. The abortion issue works to Evangelicals on board in 2016, once Trump seemed the most likely to win the nomination. But it doesn’t explain their continued support after that.
I propose that there are psychological biases at play. There’s one called the “choice-supportive bias.” This is where, once you make a choice, you feel a bias towards defending it. And it ironically gets stronger (up to a point) the more regret you feel.
I also think it opened them up to the rhetoric supporting him. If you’re actually listening the right wing rhetoric now, it can influence you more. And then there was the exploitation of rapture-like conspiracy theories.
I think abortion was what led people to hold their nose and support Trump. But it also opened the door. It’s similar to a belief evangelicals have about sin: that letting a little in eventually corrupts everything. In this case, I think they’re right.
And, again, all for something never really mentioned in the Bible, something that should be up to the individual Christian’s conscience.