I'm sorry Dave but I'm afraid I can't do that.

I getcha.
Respect, mind you, is not an all-encompassing word. Respect is insofar as to listen to what they have to say, ask for clarity on ambiguous terms. Really listen to what they have to say. Because I have found the more that you listen to what they're talking about, the easier it is to politely show them that they're idiots. They're more likely to realize it on their own.
You love them because they've been fooled. They've been conned to fight us. It sucks. But.... I've turned more MAGA through this method than meeting toxicity with toxicity.

all fair and valid. actually i loved many of them before they were fooled, and those people i still love. now in practice, i have difficulty respecting anyone, fooled or otherwise, who contributes to mass murder as we see them do regularly. their impact in the pandemic is the biggest offense so far, and it can't be excused from being fooled.

and true, toxicity doesn't solve toxicity. i focus my attacks on the leaders, who know what they're doing, hoping that the followers will see them for what they are. i think this works, too.