We are quite accustomed to the media and the left ginning up phony outrage as a means of virtue-signaling and attacking President Trump.  Russian collusion is the standard, but it hasn't panned out as planned.  Next in line are Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Melania's shoes or jackets, Trump's tweets, and how many scoops of ice cream he gets for dessert.

This week, they are apoplectic over Trump calling out NATO members for freeloading off the largess of the United States, not paying their fair share for defense, and cutting side energy deals with Russia.  Many so-called Republicans are outraged over Trump's candor, preferring the typical American president's approach of bowing low and grabbing one's ankles.  That's what they call dignified and smart diplomacy.

It's not only the left constantly criticizing President Trump, but another even more bothersome group, as they should know better.  NeverTrumps are an annoying group of supposed conservative Republicans outraged that Donald Trump won not only the GOP nomination, but also the actual election.  Their fury grows, as Trump has been in office for over 500 days, and their efforts to turn Republicans against him have failed spectacularly.

In fact, at day 500, President Trump has the second highest level of support, 87 percent, within his own party going all the way back to the days of Truman.  Only George W. Bush had a higher level of Republican support, 96 percent, at a similar time in his presidency, shortly after 9/11, when the country was more unified than it has been in recent history.

Trump is 10 percentage points higher than Reagan at 500 days and 8 points higher than Obama.  So what are the NeverTrumps yapping about?

It seems they are among the 13 percent of Republicans who don't support President Trump.  The Hill, proclaiming doom and gloom for the Republican Party, ran an article entitled "George Will, Joe Scarborough lead midterm exodus from GOP."

Who are these supposed Republicans bailing on the party?

George Will, once a prominent and respected conservative columnist, has virtually disappeared after turning his back on Trump and his supporters.  In a recent Washington Post column, likely read only by Democrats, he urged Republicans to vote for Democrats to "check Trump's excesses."

What excesses?  Does he mean tax cuts?  Or conservative judicial appointees?  Or the regulatory roll-back?  Or moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem?  Or full employment?  Or standing up to illegal immigration?  Or decimating ISIS?  Or standing up for American interests?

Trump has been doing what conservatives have been longing for and writing about for their entire careers, and now that George Will and his fellow travelers are getting everything they say they want, they hate the guy who delivered it all.

For George Will, it is not a recent exodus from the GOP.  He left the Republican Party before Trump was even nominated for president, in June 2016.  This is more fake news from The Hill, creating the impression that George Will only recently found his NeverTrump outrage.

Joe Scarborough, MSNBC host, married and divorced twice before his current engagement to co-host Mika Brzezinski, served four terms in Congress as a Republican, from 1994 to 2002.  He is a classic RINO, as anyone who watches his Morning Joe show can attest.

He was Donald Trump's buddy early in the primaries, as Trump was eager to be interviewed, and Joe happily obliged, since Trump's frequent appearances on Morning Joe boosted ratings.  Once Trump won the nomination and was then elected, the fawning coverage ended.  To pretend that now Joe has had a sudden revelation to leave the GOP is patently false.

Another NeverTrump is Bill Kristol.  Remember when he recommended fellow NeverTrump David French to challenge Trump for the GOP nomination?  He is at it again, telling conservatives to challenge Trump for the 2020 nomination.  He believes that support for Trump among the rank and file will diminish over time.  Someone send him the 500 day poll so he can see how well that's working out within his rank and file.

Max Boot is a columnist whom I haven't seen since he appeared in a fiery interview on Tucker Carlson's show a year ago.  He acted like Tucker's "Liberal Sherpa" frequent guest Cathy Areu, both acting nutty but Max being far more unhinged.  Now Mr. Boot is "[r]ooting for a Democratic takeover of both houses in November."

That makes sense.  Nothing will advance the conservative agenda better than putting Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in charge of Congress.  Do these people ever listen thoughtfully to what they say?

There are plenty of others.  Jennifer Rubin, so-called "conservative blogger" for the Washington Post, attacks Trump with the ferocity of Maxine Waters.  Steve Schmidt, who helped John McCain lose a presidential election he could have and should have won.  Bret Stephens, token "conservative" columnist at the N.Y. Times, who believes that "President Donald Trump is likely mentally ill."

The GOP primary was tough but fair.  The people chose Donald Trump out of a field of 17 talented and accomplished candidates.  Now President Trump has shown Republicans how to win, in a way that no other current Republican can do.

The NeverTrumps pine for more genteel leaders who are dignified, solemn, and serious.  Like a John McCain or Mitt Romney?  Both gentlemen and both losers.  Is following a loser into minority status as a political party the way to advance the conservative agenda?  Or to get conservative jurists on the bench, including the Supreme Court?

The logic of the NeverTrump movement is twisted and getting old – like CNN's Jim Acosta rudely shouting at the president any time he gets the chance.  They are tiring and irrelevant, much like the prophet on the street corner proclaiming that the world is about to end.

The NeverTrumps need to decide which team they want to be on.  If they support the Democratic Party, just become Democrats and be done with it.  But then don't claim to be a conservative, as the two are mutually exclusive.  In the meantime, just go away, and let Trump continue making America great again.

Brian C Joondeph, M.D., MPS is a Denver-based physician and writer.  Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.