I have to admit something.
Despite everything we've witnessed since Donald Trump descended that escalator and ascended to the White House, it remains once again difficult to fathom another Trump presidency. The threat is real, I know this. His poll numbers look good. But, there is still that guttural, if wrong, instinct: American voters really want this guy? Did they not see the same relentless rot that I did?
But then I remember: The relentless rot is exactly why huge swaths of the electorate do want him back. As it's been said, the cruelty is the point. I thought about this again while reading my colleague Julianne McShane's analysis of Trump's recent promise to deport pro-Palestinian protesters should he get reelected.
"When I’m president, we will not allow our colleges to be taken over by violent radicals," Trump told supporters over the weekend. "And if you come here from a violent country and try to bring jihadism, or anti-Americanism, or antisemitism to our campuses, we will immediately deport you."
That is heinous no matter what you think about the protests. It seems illegal, too, right? But as Julianne noted, Republican lawmakers around the country are pushing legislation to do exactly that. I'll be thinking about this as we continue to careen toward November.
—Inae Oh
