Trump Says Hernández Was Targeted “Because He Was President” — Republicans Nod Along, Ignore That He Says the Opposite About Maduro
In a moment that perfectly captures the modern Republican talent for mental gymnastics, Donald Trump defended pardoning convicted drug trafficker and former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández by arguing he’d been prosecuted “because he was the president of the country.”
Republican allies immediately repeated the line as if it were gospel, despite the minor complication that Trump is simultaneously accusing Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro of being a drug kingpin because he’s the president of his country.
To recap:
Hernández: Prosecuted because he’s president → Bad, unfair, witch hunt.
Maduro: Accused because he’s president → Good, tough, decisive foreign policy.
If this logic feels like a pretzel, don’t worry — Republican leadership has been practicing pretzel-shaped reasoning for years. Some claim they’re flexible thinkers; critics say they’ve simply replaced critical thinking with a loyalty rewards program.
The irony is almost blinding: pardoning a man convicted in U.S. court for running a cocaine superhighway, while using the same job-title logic to label another leader a narco-terrorist.
But in today’s GOP, consistency is optional.Loyalty is mandatory.
And cognitive dissonance?
Well, that’s just part of the brand.
In the end, Trump’s explanation leaves analysts, Democrats, and anyone with a functioning memory asking the same question:Are Republicans confused — or just hoping everyone else is?
