This column, from the weekly opinion piece MATTER OF FACT, first appeared on BrooklynReporter.com, the Home Reporter and Spectator dated January 21, 2021
The past two weeks have seemed to be as jam-packed with news as they have been exceedingly quiet. From the insurrectionist storming of the Capitol on January 6 and its aftermath, to the inauguration of President Joe Biden, there has been a lot to keep up with, but the usual noise coming from President Trump has disappeared due to his permanent suspension from Twitter and the fact he has appeared to completely give up on doing any of the work of the president during his final weeks in office.
To be honest, as we transition from the chaos – both figurative and literal – that was the hallmark of the Trump administration, the Biden presidency seems boring, and that is a very good thing. Normalcy, competence, and decency does not raise eyebrows or grab attention, but that is precisely what the country needs right now. We need good governance, not good ratings.
Unfortunately, as he heads out the door, it is obvious that Trump has made a mess of the place. Two-thirds of his supporters believe the big lies that there was mass election fraud and that he actually won the 2020 election. This false belief is the basis for the anger that erupted at the Capitol earlier this month. Those who staged an insurrection against the United States government feel their cause is just and righteous.
The tempest in this country that erupted January 6 is a direct result of millions of people making a commitment to believe anything and everything Donald Trump tells them. Many often point out that Donald Trump did not create the environment we find ourselves in, which is true, but the cult-like following he has cultivated has certainly allowed for things to spiral out of control in the manner they have. If Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio had been elected president in 2016, they would have never denied they lost an election in which they came up short by 74 votes in the electoral college and 7 million in the popular vote, but even if they had made such a bogus claim, their own voters would accept the reality that they had lost.
“Political debates can be passionate, but we need to find a place where we all have the same foundation of reality and reject things like sedition and insurrection.”
It does feel very much like America is facing a civil war of sorts, yet instead of there being lines drawn between states, they are right through our communities or even our own dinner tables. Political debates can be passionate, but we need to find a place where we all have the same foundation of reality and reject things like sedition and insurrection.
We have heard a lot the past four years about the motivations and feelings of Trump voters and as much as they will take offense to hearing it, we need to figure out how to gradually deprogram them. When I say “deprogram,” I am in no way suggesting some indoctrination into progressive political philosophy, but simply bringing them back to a point where they do not reject established facts when it does not fit what they wish to be true.
I say this as someone who has close family members, friends, and co-workers who have gone down the rabbit hole of Trumpism. Sure, I would love for them to one day agree with me on economic policy, but I do not expect they ever will, nor is that something I am concerned with right now. I just want them to be grounded in reality. Four years ago, I wished Donald Trump had not won the 2016 election, but I never considered letting my wish take precedence over what my mind knew to be true, no matter how disappointed I was in that fact.
Those of us who accepted the reality of Trump’s win four years ago, did so with fear and dread because we knew how badly things could turn out with him at the helm. We were shocked by what we saw on January 6 but not surprised. We never could have foreseen living through this pandemic but having the worst response to it in the world is not a surprise with Trump in charge. The leadership of the country changed dramatically on Inauguration Day, but the country itself will take much longer.
