Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, there has been a phrase used to refer to the cultural shift brought about by the acceptance, support, and election of a man who many in the electorate find offensive or hateful.
“Trump’s America” is a place where national identity is more populist in nature, outsiders are highly scrutinized, racial conflict is more frequent, and civility is all but gone. Generally, the ones responsible for this societal upheaval are the president’s supporters. They’ve created an uncomfortable culture where anything is permissible so long as it aids their leader and props up the cause.
Because of this perception, some on the Left have adopted a “you started it first” mindset. Behavior that would have been swiftly condemned by Democrats during the last administration is being used as a template for protesters to express their disgust at the current one.
The most recent, and most extreme, example is that of Rep. Maxine Waters, D – Calif. On Saturday, at a rally in Los Angeles, she instructed the audience to use public harassment as a weapon against political enemies.
Celebrities such as musician John Legend echoed the sentiment.
Let’s make a deal with the Trump Administration. Reunite all these families immediately and you can go out to eat wherever the fuck you want.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) June 25, 2018
Apparently, presidential administration officials whose political opinions differ from your own are fair game for heckling and outright harassment as they eat with their families or engage in a retail transaction in public. No longer should they be given the general sort of courtesy that most Americans give to one another.
Aside from the obvious problem with encouraging this threatening behavior is the hypocritical adherence to an ideal that is considered a feature of the Trump era. It’s a sickening sanctimony that excuses becoming that which you hate so long as it is in defense of your worldview.
If we are to look at things honestly, we’ll recognize that “Trump’s America,” this turbulent age, is not just a political reality because of who defines it, but because of who denounces it.
I’m sure that somewhere within her mind, Waters believes that calling for targeted harassment is a just and proper response to a child separation policy. I am convinced that she sees herself as standing opposite of those she condemns. In actuality, she is closer to them than she can imagine. “Trump’s America” grows stronger, not weaker, because of her misguided defiance. The same can be said for any among The Resistance who call for outrageous types of action.
Little do these individuals know that defying President Trump in these ways only serves to strengthen his message. His supporters are stirred up by the pushback and further resolve to keep the country from falling into such hysterical hands yet again.
With that, we are left back at square one, shaking our collective heads at actions and reactions that define the ongoing skirmishes. The usual playbook has been replaced by “owning the libs” and “owning the cons” on public battlefields. This gets us nowhere.
In recent days, Pam Bondi, Kirstjen Nielsen, and Sarah Sanders have all been subjected to taunts at the movie theater, restaurants, and also in Nielsen’s case, her home. Reasonable Americans of all political persuasions should criticize the hecklers’ behavior as both distracting and inappropriate.
The Trump presidency is a defining time in our country. The division between competing ideologies seems wider than ever and impossible to overcome. While there is enough distinct blame to put on either side, both must take responsibility for the truth of “Trump’s America.”
The GOP may have gladly created it, but the Democrats, in their thirst to dismantle it, are really just fueling the fire.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a senior contributor at RedState.com.
