During the past six or eight months, it seems as though every conversation on a general topic that I’ve engaged in has come around to the topic of Donald Trump.
Yesterday morning I led a discussion at First Universalist Church on the topic of spirituality. It was a good discussion overall, but the conversation soon drifted to the lack of spirituality of Donald Trump and how people’s spirits were lifted by taking part in protest demonstrations against Trump.
Yesterday evening I took part in a group that is reading and discussing Henryk Sienkiewicz’s Quo Vadis. Sure enough, we soon started talking about the resemblances between Donald Trump and the Emperor Nero.
I don’t hang out with pro-Trump voters on a day-to-day basis, but my guess is that they also are talking about Trump and his opponents.
It is amazing to me how President Trump has managed to dominate public discourse, and on his own terms.
The Washington press yesterday was talking about estimates of crowd sizes. It wasn’t talking about what Trump’s policies will be concerning the economy, the environment or foreign wars. Still less was it talking about what we Americans ought to be doing concerning these issues.
No, the national press—as well as all my friends who get their information from network television—were reacting to Trump’s tweets and sound bites—that is, to an agenda set by Trump. And so is most of the national press, even though in their own minds they are opposed to Trump.
I feel as if I am the target of psychological warfare, intended to induce despair and fear.