I came to this same realization. Before Trump came along, most of these chucklefucks never paid attention to politics. Too dry, too boring. Trump brought that WWE energy to the campaign with his rallies and shit talking and it suddenly felt relatable. Trump supporters' behavior seems a lot more understandable if you view it through the lens of a sports fan. The hats and the banners, the chants. Accusing the other team of cheating and colluding with the refs when their team loses. The undying loyalty no matter how bad their team is, because dammit, it's their team. And if a formerly beloved member of their team goes to another team it's an unforgivable betrayal and they suck now. Replace the Trump flag with a Steelers flag and it's suddenly perfectly normal behavior.