Utrecht, Robin/Action Press via ZUMA Press
How was your Friday night? Donald Trump’s was terrible. His envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, stepped down. Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada became the first Republican member of Congress to come out in support of an impeachment inquiry. And the Washington Post reported on another bombshell meeting with a head of state—a 2017 meeting in which Trump told two senior Russian officials “that he was unconcerned” with their country’s interference in the 2016 election.
So, as he prepared for a nice soothing round of golf on Saturday morning with South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, the leader of the most powerful country on Earth sent three tweets in quick succession—”PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!” (8:34 a.m.); “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” (8:35 a.m.); “KEEP AMERICA GREAT!” (8:35 a.m.). You can always count on him to play the hits.
But first, he typed out this:
Can you imagine if these Do Nothing Democrat Savages, people like Nadler, Schiff, AOC Plus 3, and many more, had a Republican Party who would have done to Obama what the Do Nothings are doing to me. Oh well, maybe next time!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2019
That’s the president of the United States referring to his political opponents—including four women of color he’s previously suggested don’t belong in this country—as “savages.” Trump has spent most of his presidency deploying dehumanizing language against people, or groups of people, he wants his political base to hate: Mexicans, Muslims, residents of Baltimore, homeless people. So at a certain point the phrase “this isn’t normal” starts to lose meaning. This is disturbingly normal; it’s maybe the last song he still plays. And it’s probably only going to get worse.
