Live free and die

A couple of weeks ago, I drove two hours north to the hillside town of Olyphant, Pennsylvania, just outside Scranton, to meet with a Donald Trump fan for a book project I’ve been working on. For 90 minutes, I listened to this 54-year-old laid-off factory worker and former Democrat who now says the more that liberal politicians and other elites voice their contempt for the ex-president, the more strongly he supports Trump. He was also candid about his recent health woes – including a heart attack and a stroke – so I asked if he’d received a Covid-19 shot.

“Absolutely not,” he responded quickly, “and I will not get it. Let me clarify... not at this time, because it’s all pretty new.”