For Trump supporters, 'a bridge too far' must be nearby

I often wonder where idioms like "a bridge too far" originate. This phrase comes from the title of the 1974 book of the same name, by Cornelius Ryan. The book tells the story of Operation Market Garden, the Allies' plan of attack to conquer several bridges in the Netherlands in September of 1944. The goal was to establish a route over the Rhine River for an invasion into Germany.  The Allies never captured that last bridge at Arnhem, and the mission ultimately failed.  For Americans who possess apparently unrelenting fealty to former President Donald Trump, the bridges in front of them are also numerous. Trump's influence, his top position in Republican party politics, relies on a constituency that will seemingly follow him anywhere.  Trump famously said in January of 2016, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?"  In June of 2023, the zombies who support him would apparently applaud such a thing. What would the cadre of elected officials, who desperately want this crowd of voters to see them synonymously with the indicted former president, do? They might claim the NYPD is simply an arm of the evil Democrat Party, or even the sinister Biden campaign, and that arresting their dear leader for murder is merely a political stunt.  It sounds ridiculous, but it isn't. The federal indictment that was released last week, and the arraignment scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, challenges the seriousness of murder. What!? How could an editorial writer write something so offensive? Trump just "mishandled" some paper! All politicians do it! Connect with Michael Leppert Visit michaelleppert.com to read the full post and links to any resources or articles mentioned. Twitter @michaelleppert  Facebook at Michael Leppert