Leading Observers Wrestle with the Implications of Our New, Disturbing and Profoundly Sad Moment in Modern American Politics
To a degree unprecedented in modern American political history, Donald Trump and his campaign’s blend of nativism, demagoguery and authoritarianism have been bleeding into civil society and fostering a dangerous and dehumanizing climate.
Last summer, we introduced the “Trump Hate Map” – a comprehensive look at the locations and events where Latinos, immigrants, and other people of color have been harassed or attacked by Trump or his supporters. Unfortunately, we have had a steady flow of updates to the map.
It’s clear that we are in the midst of a new, disturbing, and profoundly sad moment in modern American politics. Below, we present excerpts of leading observers who are trying to make sense of the current moment and where it may be leading:
Dan Balz in the Washington Post, “Campaign 2016 is on a Dangerous Descent”
“Trump’s candidacy now is far more than a Republican Party issue. He defines and dominates the politics of 2016. He did not create the root causes of the anger and division in the country. All of that has been building for years, for all to see. The problems are real and difficult to address. There has been little effort to contain or restrain the disaffection, particularly in the Republican Party. More than anyone, however, Trump has exploited that anger. No one should underestimate the significance of the estrangement or disregard the implications of it. It was on full display Friday. Even worse could occur in the days and months ahead unless there is a collective and concerted effort to step back from this precipice.”
Jamelle Bouie in Slate, “How Trump Happened”
“Given the more than uphill climb he would face in a general election, Trump the person might have an expiration date. But Trumpism will enter the firmament of modern politics, a powerful current that will shape the future of the Republican Party, and the Democratic one too. Trump came on the stage as a clown. But whenever he leaves, he’ll do it as a new icon of a familiar movement in American life.”
Ezra Klein in Vox, “Donald Trump’s Ideology of Violence”
“This is ugly, but it is coherent. What Trump is offering is an explanation and a solution; an argument and an ideology. It is dangerous, and it is violent, but it is not confusing, and it is not unclear. And this is why Trump is something different and more dangerous in American life. He is a man with an evident appetite for suppressing dissent with violence, a man who believes America’s problem is that it’s too gentle to its dissidents. Trump is making an argument for a politics backed by force, for a security service unleashed from “political correctness,” for a country where protesting has consequences. The results are playing out before us, night after night, on our televisions. If Trump wins and this country goes down a dark path, we will never be able to say we didn’t see it coming. We will never be able to say we weren’t warned.”
Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (video segment), “Escalating Aggression Marks Trump’s Rally Rhetoric”
“We got here by a deliberate means, I don’t think this was an accident … there have been instances in the past where he has encouraged or at least praised the idea of violent actions by his supporters…but this sort of blood lust, right, this half tongue-in-cheek, mostly serious call for a tougher America where there are more beatings and where anti-Trump protestors should fear for their lives; as he heads into these tinderbox cities, today and tonight, I just want you to watch how that part of candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric has escalated.” (followed by video timeline)
NBC News First Read Political Tipsheet, “A Scary Time in American Politics”
“We love American politics because of its excitement, its unpredictability, and its clash of ideas and policies. But we’ve never seen this in our lifetimes until now – when politics becomes scary. And that has been the overarching political story over the past 96 hours, as Donald Trump rallies have featured sucker punches, scuffles, unrest, and even a protester trying to jump on the stage. We’re all on edge that something even scarier might happen…”
Ruth Marcus in the Washington Post, “Donald Trump’s Thuggery is Inexcusable”
“Trump, characteristically, regrets nothing. On Friday, accepting the endorsement of Ben Carson, a man he once described as ‘pathological’ and likened to a ‘child molester,’ Trump reaffirmed his inclination to meet violence with violence, citing the example of a protester who was ‘swinging’ at the audience. ‘And the audience hit back,’ Trump said, approvingly. ‘And that’s what we need a little bit more of.’ Not actually. But it is, I fear, what we will be getting much more of, with Trump at the top of the GOP ticket. He is not a unifier, he is an igniter. The fuse is short and the electorate flammable. The match in Trump’s hands is a dangerous weapon.”
Josh Marshall in Talking Points Memo, “Someone Will Die”
“The climate Trump is creating at his events is one that not only disinhibits people who normally act within acceptable societal norms. He is drawing in, like moths to a flame, those who most want to act out on their animosities, drives and beliefs. It is the kind of climate where someone will eventually get killed.”
