trump is always near total destruction, it seems. But he has a magic bullet, his cult-like base. I have written extensively about cults and the lengths to which they will go to believe and follow. If you look deep enough, the picture is not pretty. The alt-right is dangerous. But there is a more dangerous force that has grown in power while becoming largely invisible. It is the so-called evangelical Christians who are die-hard Trump followers.

Since the president's followers are not the subject of this article, I will prove my point by suggesting you look with care at Mike Pence and Betsy DeVos.

If you see our tax money moving to Christian schools and more and more attacks on the freedom of women to control their own bodies, you will be in touch with what used to be called the dominion movement of American Christians.

Their loyalty is not to Trump, but they love him and follow him. He does their bidding. They have made a complete and total identification with the binary Christianity that regards it as Christian duty to control the state.

Trump

Trump relies on the Pence-DeVos Christians, He may care less about their imperial aims, but he needs their absolute dedication, and he has it. The actual numerical strength of Trump's base is hard to estimate, but the figure of 40 million seems to be fair.

This is not a majority in a presidential election, but it is a base that can do anything at all to show their loyalty.

What has this to do with Flynn? Everything. Flynn is on the same page with the dominionists.

He is not one of them, but he is a virtual carbon copy of Trump himself. If these two men become enemies, the base will choose Trump, but it will probably be shaken.

Hostility

The probability is that Flynn will turn against Trump. Today's lead story above suggests the reasons. I spent a good part of yesterday looking at what Flynn faces as a target of the Mueller investigation.

He is subject to prosecution for not one but three crimes. He has a corps of lawyers whose pay clock is always running. He is looking at serious jail time.

If Flynn flips and provides needed testimony that implicates Trump in obstruction and complicity, then that, along with his other woes, will change the president's odds of survival. It won't kill his base, but it might embolden the majority of Americans.

It might even suggest that this president does not have the power to remain, seemingly, above the law,

Flynn is a former Democrat like Trump. He loves money like Trump. He does not like being branded a criminal. Now the money factor is colliding with the loyalty factor. And this weekend will tell us whether Flynn has made a mortal enemy of the man to whom he tied his fortunes a few short months ago.