@malwaretech the best answer I can give in the span of a masto message is to link to this famous video which answers the question (about 20 min, but worth your time)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agzNANfNlTs
E: "we assume conservatives defend the rich because they'll be rich some day. Sure, they'd love to be. But it's more nuanced than that: they believe the rest of us *need* the rich"