
Earlier this week, I received a really great question from a reader in response to our most recent Ask Us Anything article here at Wolves and Sheep:
Enjoyed your responses to the last “ask us anything” post. I believe that history repeats itself and we can glean much from looking at similar patterns. That's why I believe that it will get better (eventually) for it is just as much a part of the pattern. However, history also has shown us that some damage has generational consequences and never quite repairs. What do you believe will be the most damaging aspect of the Trump presidency that we may not be able to fix?
This is such a good question, that I thought it deserved its own article in response. It is possible Matt will also want to provide his own answer at some point, perhaps during our next Ask Us Anything. In the comments, I encourage all paid subscribers to add their answers as well, which hopefully will spur some thought-provoking discussion.
So, I thought about this one for a while, and came up with an answer. First, here were some possible answers that I considered but decided not to go with:
Cutting foreign aid. According to one study, Trump administration cuts to foreign aid might result in 14 million deaths worldwide that otherwise could have been prevented. Certainly, the enormous human toll is irreversible—and there will be a human toll. However, in response to the question, the cuts to foreign aid are not permanent. Also, the funding might be made up elsewhere. So, I decided not to go with this, as it was too speculative for my tastes.
Damaging the Western alliance and rules-based global trade. I am a big believer in the widespread global good that wealthy, liberal democracies have achieved by working together over the last 75 years instead of warring with one another. For just a partial list, consider the smashing of the Soviet Union, the vast improvement in global life expectancy and standards of living, the unprecedented personal freedom that billions have been able to experience, as well as the numerous technological marvels of our lifetimes. Unfortunately, Trump seems to be doing whatever he can to destroy that alliance and to reorient global commerce and diplomacy around him, rather than around any actual laws or rules. However, Trump will be out of office in about three and a half years, and since he isn't actually replacing treaties and international agreements with anything that extends beyond his own person, the problems he is causing in this arena might actually disappear quite quickly. A bipartisan supermajority still favors the alliance, too. I also believe that Trump's tenure will go a long way toward discrediting many common criticisms of the post-WWII order. Sometimes, people just have to try something different in order to realize how good they had it in the first place.
Massive erosion of checks and balances. The Trump administration is illegally freezing huge amounts of spending approved by Congress, while also spending lots of money that Congress did not approve. This is a major erosion of checks and balances, and I believe it to be an impeachable offense. However, as bad as this is, it is also something that could quickly come to an end at the conclusion of the current Trump administration (or, possibly, even sooner). The next president could just, like, decide not to act like that.
Weaponization of government. The way Trump is using the power of the federal government to attack businesses, universities, nonprofits and individuals who he considers his enemies is utterly appalling and authoritarian. As such, I was very tempted to go with this one. However, this weaponization is also something that could just end once Trump is out of office. I'm not saying it will end when he is out of office, but rather that it could end. The next president could decide to stop weaponizing the government, and then poof—that's done.
“The Big, Beautiful Bill.” This is a terrible piece of legislation that will have very negative long-term consequences for our social safety net, our national debt, and our energy future. However, as bad as it is, I think there is still something even worse, which I will explain below.
To me, the saddest and most damaging thing that I see Trump doing to the country is getting American citizens to dislike each other so much. This will do very long-term damage to our country, as it will reduce our ability to solve our internal problems and to act as a force for good in the world. It will also just make it more difficult to enjoy life as an American, as it ruins friendships and families, induces self-censorship, and sometimes even breaks out into horrifying spectacles of violence.
Now, Trump certainly did not invent polarization. The increased tendency toward internal division in America has been underway since at least the late 1990s, and possibly earlier. Perhaps Trump is best understood as a product of that trend, or as an accelerant of it. Either way, Trump certainly wallows in it, marinades himself in it, and defines himself by it. He is effectively only president for a portion of the country, and considers himself at war with the rest.
I come from a politically mixed extended family, and even now I do not live exclusively among either Democrats or progressives. This has never been a problem for me, and it never struck me as being unusual, either. However, it seems that sort of living situation is becoming increasingly rare, and I don't really know what can be done to bring it back. Trump is just making it worse with basically everything he does.
We are not going to do as well as a country if we don't like one another. As such, to me, exacerbating that internal division and dislike is the worst aspect of the second Donald Trump presidency, as well as the part of it that will be most difficult to reverse anytime soon.
In the comments, I would love to hear your thoughts on this great question.
To me, it isn’t necessary that we LIKE each other as much as that we respect each other and grant each other the grace to exist and thrive!
I believe that the cruelty of Trump’s immigration policies will reverberate for years, and will tie in with Americans disliking each other. We have all been immigrants at some point; does this mean we hate ourselves? Racial profiling, judging others by ethnicity or skin color, is to me un-American. I’m not sure how we can reverse this up swelling of racism, nativism, and cruelty. It is so disheartening.