Trump's supporters are on the other side of a fiery abyss from the rest of us. You're right that what we see as reasonable and logical--Trump falling on his sword in shame--occupies a perceptual void over there.

Read a theory in, I think, The Atlantic, that the intensity of their inchoate rage toward and hatred of Hillary is in direct proportion to their need to justify supporting Donald Trump. The more horrible he is, the even-more-horrible Hillary Clinton must be. No matter how great the risk of ripping apart the fabric of space and time with Gotterdamerung berserker rage.

I was thinking the same thing about the implied "youthful indiscretion". At 70 you don't get to write off ten years ago as "youthful". That was Peak Trump, right there.

The abyss is looking back, man. And it has orange hair.