“Trump is, for all his deep flaws, in some ways a cannier politician than [former President] Nixon; he knows how to lie to his people to keep them behind him ... People can have a hard time recognizing that they’ve been conned. And Trump is skilled at flimflam, creating illusions.”
Perhaps, to some degree.
But much of it is blind partisanism, common to most on the right, who will support and defend any incompetent, corrupt buffoon such as Trump for no other reason than being a Republican.
And for many more on the right they support the fear, bigotry, and hate Trump represents and seeks to propagate, having little to do with Trump.
Last, Trump supporters are themselves in on the con, his supporters are his co-conspirators, most of whom embrace and attempt to advance the lies Trump contrives.