Blue states, the pope, former supporters, disabled people, veterans. In the years since he entered politics, it seems he finds more and more people odious
On a side note, and one that has plagued us for 10 years, his focus on hatred has degraded our civil discourse and ability to live together in peace and harmony. Before Trump, we knew bigots were plentiful, but they had been conditioned to keep on the down-low. Even my racist Missouri grandmother knew not to use the N word in the 1960s. Now, in combination with Trump's assertion to magas that they should be able to do whatever they want because, freedom, all bets are off.
The knowledge of the sheer number of bigots that we live among is depressing. They all have someone to hate, whereas I--and I suspect, you--prefer to live and let live, as long as you don't hurt someone (and that means verbally as well)). They can't do that anymore, because where's the fun in that? Overtly trolling the "others" is their top priority now. As another commenter said, living among them sucks the joy out of life.
And that is something that we were not suffering through on a daily basis prior to 10 years ago. Why couldn't that fckng escalator just have broken that day?
I miss the before times. Life was hard, but it was pleasant. Now: life is ruined with anxiety, fear, and hatred directed at myself and others. It hurts just as much to see them vilify people who aren't me.
Civility, kindness, thoughtfulness and integrity are sorely missed and needed now. I find myself more and more often slowing down to let the 'other' car merge, holding doors for men and women and saying hello and waving on the walking path. Maybe small gestures are appreciated and passed on. I hope so.
"Trump drew boos when he said Sen. John McCain....'wasn’t a war hero'”
Why did Trump hate McCain so much?
It wasn't because of politics and a dispute about policy. It was money.
Back in the 1980's Trump had a big development he was planning to build called Television City - later to be renamed Trump City, it was blocked by Jerry Nadler and John McCain.
Nadler was joined by Sen. John McCain in opposing the financing. McCain gave a speech from the Senate floor that may have still rankled Trump. Maybe the truth is that Trump likes war heroes who don’t challenge one of his scams.
Trump's plan was to get hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits and abatements from New York and the Federal government through HUD to build his project. Both New York mayor Ed Koch and Jerry Nadler, now the House Judiciary Committee ranking member, who was the state assemblyman who then represented the area, told Trump "Nope." Trump downsized the plans into Trump City, and he was still going after HUD money. Nadler remained against it, but Trump's big plans to get government money took a nosedive when McCain joined the opposition against Trump's real estate scam.
From the Senate floor McCain gave this speech:
“The Department of Housing and Urban Development is processing an application from a team of developers, headed by the venerable Donald Trump. [Trump would get] a vast array of municipal tax benefits, which one group calculates to be in the range of nearly $4.5 million per ‘needy’ individual assisted. Not exactly what most Americans would consider cost-effective use of government assistance. I certainly have nothing against luxury apartments nor do I have anything against very successful project developers, including Mr. Trump. I do object, however, to asking the taxpayer to bear the risk of a development for one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the country, to help finance a project that will predominantly benefit upper-income Americans.”
The petty wannabe dictator who the GOP put in the Oval Office twice never forgets a grudge. Even after 40 years.
Trump is merely harvesting a crop that the right-wing echo chamber has been cultivating for decades. The message, year in and year out, has been hatred and resentment. Hate liberals. Hate black people. Hate "others." Ever ask a magaloid why he or she hates liberals? Mostly, they can't really tell you. They'll say "because they hate America," but they can't really give you an example beyond liberals' opposition to whitewashing history. Or they'll say "because they're trying to make us a socialist nation -- again, with no examples. Or the best one: " because they're trying to take away our freedom. " Recently, Clarence Thomas gave a speech in which he claimed that progressives believe that rights only come from government, not from "god." Put aside the abject stupidity of that statement. (Inalienable rights, anyone?) This is from an ethically compromised jurist who has, in the past, opined that unless a right is specifically enumerated in the Constitution, it is no right at all -- no matter what the Ninth Amendment says.
Donald Trump sees the world as populated by two types of people. The first type is marks. Patsies. People whose sole purpose is to be taken advantage of.
The other type is Trump himself.
So no, he doesn't actually hate you. He just thinks you're only there for his benefit -- like everything else. He's a sociopath.
Good points. Trump gives people permission to not only hate, but act hatefully, through his own rhetoric and actions. Trump is the anti-thesis of CIVIL DISCOURSE. In order to combat hate, we not only should call it out, but make sure we do not fall into the one-upping traps that leads to violence. It takes forethought to not take the bait of the bully, while still standing up to the bully.
You are exactly right. And it's exactly like the old poem. All the die-hard MAGA's are just staring to realize "Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me".
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Trump supporters are not thinking about that old warning. They STILL hate socialists, and trade unions, and Jews and Blacks and Asians and Hispanics. He's actively making everything worse for them, and still they love everything Trump is doing but expect lower prices, because not one of them has ever thought anything through. To them, that education and critical thinking stuff is still commie pinko socialist fascist (none of which any maga can define) un-American 'libtard' nonsense, because bigotry is at the core of their identity.
I used to think that selfishness and greed were core Republican values, but given that Trump has not merely tanked the economy, but the fact that he has caused so much damage domestically and internationally that he has handed the rest of the 21st century to China and is well on the way to converting the U.S. into West Russia, yet is still fully protected by nearly all Republicans has revealed the ugly truth. It's bigotry.
All sadly true. And, the amount of sarcasm, ridicule and vulgar language used by all of us has increased as well. It pervades our society now and has degraded our remembrance of civil discourse, and the use of intelligent, thoughtful language. I am weary of even some of our Contrarian journalists who repeatedly now freely curse. Surely, we need to vent, but do we really need to carry on as if we are adolescents trying to prove our shared emotions? I'm beginning to tune out those journalists.
And at some level, when discourse is "too kind" or "too soft" it lacks the impact that some feelings deserve. Maybe we did not need to be 100% where we were in 2015. Maybe just being 80% as soft spoken was enough. But we probably agree that being just 20% as soft spoken is unpleasant. I imagine we'll gradually grow kinder in our speech and online ranting again once Trump disappears from public life. I sure hope so.
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) publishes annual model policies for conservative state lawmakers to advance nationwide, and this year is no exception: in 2025, ALEC proposed bills attacking voting rights, dismantling environmental protections, reducing social safety net benefits, and much more. These proposals echo–and further advance–those laid out in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, the 900-page handbook mapping plans for the second Trump administration.
For 50 years, ALEC has quietly driven extreme legislation in states across the country. Now, with President Trump back in the White House aligned with their vision, it has the opportunity to steer him toward the interests of their backers and friends. ALEC supports policies that make life harder for working families, starve the social safety net, and harm access to voting. Americans have the power to support our democracy and stop this agenda by holding ALEC member legislators and corporations that support its agenda accountable.
People have long noted that Trump and his MAGA movement are nihilistic, but they are also misanthropic. Trump and his followers simply hate people (most of all themselves).
"In the 11 years since he descended that tacky escalator, Trump has almost exclusively used bigotry to appeal to voters."
And in those same eleven years the Democrats and their media sycophants have done everything in their power to keep him out of office. I haven't seen this much negative press since Nixon. And what did it get you? Two terms of Trump. And you're still at it even though he will never be on a ballot again. Congratulations...
I think you have missed something Hal; and, that is that Trump said right before the last election that his followers would only have to vote that one last time. He does not intend on leaving office and he doesn't intend on the US ever having a real election again because he can't stand losing and he knows he will not be able to win a fair election. He is aware that by law he is term-limited, but he doesn't really care about that. Laws are not for him. They are for us.
"I think you have missed something Hal; and, that is that Trump said right before the last election that his followers would only have to vote that one last time. He does not intend on leaving office..."
If you are convinced that Trump is not leaving or we will no longer have any elections, I suggest you place a very large wager on Polymarket and Kalshi.
On a side note, and one that has plagued us for 10 years, his focus on hatred has degraded our civil discourse and ability to live together in peace and harmony. Before Trump, we knew bigots were plentiful, but they had been conditioned to keep on the down-low. Even my racist Missouri grandmother knew not to use the N word in the 1960s. Now, in combination with Trump's assertion to magas that they should be able to do whatever they want because, freedom, all bets are off.
The knowledge of the sheer number of bigots that we live among is depressing. They all have someone to hate, whereas I--and I suspect, you--prefer to live and let live, as long as you don't hurt someone (and that means verbally as well)). They can't do that anymore, because where's the fun in that? Overtly trolling the "others" is their top priority now. As another commenter said, living among them sucks the joy out of life.
And that is something that we were not suffering through on a daily basis prior to 10 years ago. Why couldn't that fckng escalator just have broken that day?
Great comment, KKG.
I miss the before times. Life was hard, but it was pleasant. Now: life is ruined with anxiety, fear, and hatred directed at myself and others. It hurts just as much to see them vilify people who aren't me.
Civility, kindness, thoughtfulness and integrity are sorely missed and needed now. I find myself more and more often slowing down to let the 'other' car merge, holding doors for men and women and saying hello and waving on the walking path. Maybe small gestures are appreciated and passed on. I hope so.
Thanks you, Kathleen. Small gestures of kindness are important and really do matter. Hug! 💙
"Trump drew boos when he said Sen. John McCain....'wasn’t a war hero'”
Why did Trump hate McCain so much?
It wasn't because of politics and a dispute about policy. It was money.
Back in the 1980's Trump had a big development he was planning to build called Television City - later to be renamed Trump City, it was blocked by Jerry Nadler and John McCain.
Nadler was joined by Sen. John McCain in opposing the financing. McCain gave a speech from the Senate floor that may have still rankled Trump. Maybe the truth is that Trump likes war heroes who don’t challenge one of his scams.
Trump's plan was to get hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits and abatements from New York and the Federal government through HUD to build his project. Both New York mayor Ed Koch and Jerry Nadler, now the House Judiciary Committee ranking member, who was the state assemblyman who then represented the area, told Trump "Nope." Trump downsized the plans into Trump City, and he was still going after HUD money. Nadler remained against it, but Trump's big plans to get government money took a nosedive when McCain joined the opposition against Trump's real estate scam.
From the Senate floor McCain gave this speech:
“The Department of Housing and Urban Development is processing an application from a team of developers, headed by the venerable Donald Trump. [Trump would get] a vast array of municipal tax benefits, which one group calculates to be in the range of nearly $4.5 million per ‘needy’ individual assisted. Not exactly what most Americans would consider cost-effective use of government assistance. I certainly have nothing against luxury apartments nor do I have anything against very successful project developers, including Mr. Trump. I do object, however, to asking the taxpayer to bear the risk of a development for one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the country, to help finance a project that will predominantly benefit upper-income Americans.”
The petty wannabe dictator who the GOP put in the Oval Office twice never forgets a grudge. Even after 40 years.
Trump is merely harvesting a crop that the right-wing echo chamber has been cultivating for decades. The message, year in and year out, has been hatred and resentment. Hate liberals. Hate black people. Hate "others." Ever ask a magaloid why he or she hates liberals? Mostly, they can't really tell you. They'll say "because they hate America," but they can't really give you an example beyond liberals' opposition to whitewashing history. Or they'll say "because they're trying to make us a socialist nation -- again, with no examples. Or the best one: " because they're trying to take away our freedom. " Recently, Clarence Thomas gave a speech in which he claimed that progressives believe that rights only come from government, not from "god." Put aside the abject stupidity of that statement. (Inalienable rights, anyone?) This is from an ethically compromised jurist who has, in the past, opined that unless a right is specifically enumerated in the Constitution, it is no right at all -- no matter what the Ninth Amendment says.
It's all about the hatred, people.
Donald Trump sees the world as populated by two types of people. The first type is marks. Patsies. People whose sole purpose is to be taken advantage of.
The other type is Trump himself.
So no, he doesn't actually hate you. He just thinks you're only there for his benefit -- like everything else. He's a sociopath.
Good points. Trump gives people permission to not only hate, but act hatefully, through his own rhetoric and actions. Trump is the anti-thesis of CIVIL DISCOURSE. In order to combat hate, we not only should call it out, but make sure we do not fall into the one-upping traps that leads to violence. It takes forethought to not take the bait of the bully, while still standing up to the bully.
You are exactly right. And it's exactly like the old poem. All the die-hard MAGA's are just staring to realize "Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me".
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
—Martin Niemöller
Trump supporters are not thinking about that old warning. They STILL hate socialists, and trade unions, and Jews and Blacks and Asians and Hispanics. He's actively making everything worse for them, and still they love everything Trump is doing but expect lower prices, because not one of them has ever thought anything through. To them, that education and critical thinking stuff is still commie pinko socialist fascist (none of which any maga can define) un-American 'libtard' nonsense, because bigotry is at the core of their identity.
I used to think that selfishness and greed were core Republican values, but given that Trump has not merely tanked the economy, but the fact that he has caused so much damage domestically and internationally that he has handed the rest of the 21st century to China and is well on the way to converting the U.S. into West Russia, yet is still fully protected by nearly all Republicans has revealed the ugly truth. It's bigotry.
All sadly true. And, the amount of sarcasm, ridicule and vulgar language used by all of us has increased as well. It pervades our society now and has degraded our remembrance of civil discourse, and the use of intelligent, thoughtful language. I am weary of even some of our Contrarian journalists who repeatedly now freely curse. Surely, we need to vent, but do we really need to carry on as if we are adolescents trying to prove our shared emotions? I'm beginning to tune out those journalists.
I agree. But I think it was unavoidable.
And at some level, when discourse is "too kind" or "too soft" it lacks the impact that some feelings deserve. Maybe we did not need to be 100% where we were in 2015. Maybe just being 80% as soft spoken was enough. But we probably agree that being just 20% as soft spoken is unpleasant. I imagine we'll gradually grow kinder in our speech and online ranting again once Trump disappears from public life. I sure hope so.
With each passing day, I find Trump to be less and less tolerable. He’s made it acceptable to be a racist and an @$$🕳️
It’s not acceptable — now or in the past. Only tolerated.
For how much longer?
Do not forget…
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) publishes annual model policies for conservative state lawmakers to advance nationwide, and this year is no exception: in 2025, ALEC proposed bills attacking voting rights, dismantling environmental protections, reducing social safety net benefits, and much more. These proposals echo–and further advance–those laid out in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, the 900-page handbook mapping plans for the second Trump administration.
For 50 years, ALEC has quietly driven extreme legislation in states across the country. Now, with President Trump back in the White House aligned with their vision, it has the opportunity to steer him toward the interests of their backers and friends. ALEC supports policies that make life harder for working families, starve the social safety net, and harm access to voting. Americans have the power to support our democracy and stop this agenda by holding ALEC member legislators and corporations that support its agenda accountable.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
Vote them out!
Thank you, Shalise, for writing this important essay. I will share it widely. Hug! 💙
People have long noted that Trump and his MAGA movement are nihilistic, but they are also misanthropic. Trump and his followers simply hate people (most of all themselves).
And today, 36 hours after the security breach at the WHCD, he is blaming “Democratic hate speech” for political violence
all too true...good post
Exactly
"In the 11 years since he descended that tacky escalator, Trump has almost exclusively used bigotry to appeal to voters."
And in those same eleven years the Democrats and their media sycophants have done everything in their power to keep him out of office. I haven't seen this much negative press since Nixon. And what did it get you? Two terms of Trump. And you're still at it even though he will never be on a ballot again. Congratulations...
I think you have missed something Hal; and, that is that Trump said right before the last election that his followers would only have to vote that one last time. He does not intend on leaving office and he doesn't intend on the US ever having a real election again because he can't stand losing and he knows he will not be able to win a fair election. He is aware that by law he is term-limited, but he doesn't really care about that. Laws are not for him. They are for us.
"I think you have missed something Hal; and, that is that Trump said right before the last election that his followers would only have to vote that one last time. He does not intend on leaving office..."
If you are convinced that Trump is not leaving or we will no longer have any elections, I suggest you place a very large wager on Polymarket and Kalshi.