It makes sense once you understand the conservative mindset: "Anyone who disagrees with me in even the most tepid of ways is a flaming liberal and doesn't deserve to exist, because I'm so fragile I must be validated in my beliefs at all times."
Once you recognize that we're dealing with an entire political party that has actively driven itself insane and become a cult, this sort of thing becomes perfectly expected.
When you have no power to enact change, you speak truth to the ones who do.