“We pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections,” Donald Trump said this past November, in a campaign speech that was ostensibly honoring Veterans Day. “The real threat is not from the radical right; the real threat is from the radical left … The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within.”
What immediately leaps out here is the word vermin, with its echoes of Hitler and Mussolini. But Trump’s inflammatory language can overshadow and distract from the substance of what he’s saying—in this case, appearing to promise a purge or repression of those who disagree with him politically.
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Trump himself has changed, too—the old Trump seemed to be running for office partly for fun and partly in service of his signature views, such as opposition to immigration and support for protectionism. Today’s Trump is different. His fury over his 2020 election defeat, the legal cases against him, and a desire for revenge against political opponents have come to eclipse everything else.
“all that sunshine, it’s unwholesome. It gets into people’s heads. their wits dribble out their ears. UNWHOLESOME!” - Me every spring when you’ve got the first day of 60’s and sunshine. (yes, I put on my best “Old Man Shouting At Clouds” voice for it. And yes, I’m being somewhat sarcastic. Though… I’ll note there’s an increase in pedestrians getting struck by cars… cuz they’re all stopping mid-sidewalk going “oh this is lovely”)