Look up Heather Cox Richardson on FB….go back to 2020 videos but you can just start following her and listening to her lectures and posts, she’s a spectacular history professor and so much more , there is such a long history to each party, it’s not easy to summarize why or what differentiates them now unless you really go back to the beginning. When you understand how they have evolved and how each affected the other, you’ll start to see the core. However, Reagan began a major change in Republicans and then Trump sent them off into an arena that doesn’t even look like anything in its past. It’s surreal to be honest. So I can understand why Brett can’t answer your question without someone correcting him, it’s best to not simplify a complex question, but you the student will have to do the work. It’s a lot of reading and studying…and I guarantee you the average American doesn’t want to do it nor interested in studying. I applaud you for asking the questions.