Feelings aside, what would be the difference?

[abaris]

I'm sure the bigots around me will be more emboldened.

I'm sure, as a look at the world at large already shows. Wherever rightwing populists are elected the goal posts of acceptable behavior are moved. You can observe that in the UK, where foreigners are attacked in the wake of the Brexit referendum, you can observe it in Hungary and you can observe it in Poland where foreigners or people believed to be foreigner are attacked or insulted in the streets.

People like that are emboldened by a head of state or a government singing their tune.