amispartacus sorry, not had coffee yet and been up for a few hours (I know, what am I thinking - must get coffee soon), but I'm not sure if I said something wrong there? I ignore a lot of the WTF are the Americans doing comments, as I know where they are coming from. I have days where I think the same thing. 
We often have threads on MN that trash Americans mercilessly, and sometimes I wade in, but more often do not, because it's depressing that people are so foolish as to assume that because a few people they've met are the sum total of an entire country.
I've been in the UK for 13 years. I would say I probably have a more British view of politics and the world than many of my American acquaintances, based on discussions we've had. Yes, moving to the UK has changed my way of thinking on many matters (some for the good, some perhaps not), but even when I was living in the states, having never been to the UK previously, I would never EVER have voted for Trump. Ever.
I do think that many voted for him out of exasperation over the fact that government was not listening. Many voted out of a misplaced idea that he was more in touch with the common people than Clinton was - that his lack of social skills made him more human than the polished politicians on the television. Some are now realising that the political situation is dangerous right now. Some have not, and they are still in 100%, blindly following this madman into chaos. Some always will. What drives them? I can't really say - I just have no idea. Perhaps it is a blind fear of terrorism or a hatred of anything different that might threaten their beliefs. I suspect the main reason is fear... of people or things or religions that are different, of the possibility that they or their way of life may be wrong, of losing, of everything.
I was in the states during 9/11. I was in the UK during 7/7 bombings. The reactions I saw from the Americans and the British were vastly different. The Americans reacted much like a child realising that the monster under the bed was actually real and had reached out and grabbed their ankle. The British were resigned, but resilient. Very "this has happened before, this will happen again, we will push through it and go on." It was a completely different atmosphere. I feel safer in the UK because of that reaction. Is that rational? I don't know. But I didn't see the widespread panic, the ongoing shocked comments about how this kind of thing hasn't happened since Pearl Harbor, the horrified comments of "what if it happens again" that I saw in the states. It was very practical here in the UK. Sort the immediate chaos, make sure people are okay, and continue about our daily lives. Be alert, but continue to LIVE. And that makes me feel grounded and secure. Silly, perhaps, but that's where I am. These demonstrations show that many Americans are not living in fear, but in hope, and I like that. It gives me a bit of comfort that perhaps things are changing for the better, despite Trump.
Sorry for the long post. I don't know if this helps regarding some of the thought processes I've seen in America or not. If not, no worries. It felt good to put it out there.