I think a lot of people are thinking like this author. An anecdotal example .... took my dad to the cardiologist & the PA (we like her better than the doctor) & dad starting talking about “how the world has changed”, especially for someone his age. Dad brought up politics & the PA said she had, very reluctantly, voted for Trump in the previous election, because she could not stomach voting for Hillary. She said that this election, she will enthusiastically vote for Trump ... he has surprised her by keeping his campaign promises.
My mother in law’s first vote for a GOP candidate in her life was in 2016 for Trump. She used to belong to SDS (socialist group) in the 1960s! Her reasoning for the switch: she realized the Dems are doing nothing at all that are in the interests of her own grandchildren (white, upper middle class, mainly male).
She always voted for Dems mainly because she is very pro choice (whatever) but now has seen the light and although is still pro choice, watches Tucker Carlson regularly.
I watch Trump all the time and I’ve realized that he really sees the world solely in terms of getting a better deal for the United States. His mind thinks in terms of “deals.” And he’s indeed gotten much better deals for the US, even in the face of having to fight off daily Dem attempts to impeach him, bring him down, hostile media, hostile GOP—he stands all alone for the US.