January 6th, 2021 was one of those moments like September 11th, 2001 that is burned into my mind forever. Watching an angry mob storm the capitol in order to stop the certification of Joseph Biden as the 46th president of the United States after he soundly defeated Donald J Trump simply because Trump had lied repeatedly and viciously about the election results brought into focus the broken nature of our democracy. During Trump’s debate with Biden in 2020, I watched on live TV the current president of the United States tell a hate group, the proud boys, to “Stand down and standby.” when pressed disavow extremist alt-right hate groups.
This act, refusing to disavow white supremacist groups, violated my deeply held personal values. It was indefensible. Lying about the election results and stirring mob action was a reprehensible act and demonstrated Trump’s total uncaring of democratic principles necessary to serve a high office in the government. Yet, four years later after dodging justice for his actions and after a campaign based largely in political revenge fantasies, Trump convinced enough voters that he was the better choice in order to win his first election with both the popular vote and the electoral college.
To say that I’m saddened by the outcome is an understatement. I’m afraid. His associates have published a chilling plan to introduce a fascist Christian-theocracy, project 2025, and his early executive actions reflect a commitment to this agenda. The saddest part about these executive orders is their cruelty. We’re scapegoating my transgender brothers and sisters in order to win culture points and creating transparent non-issues such as in-school same day gender changes which are blatantly false in order to stir hate. He targets immigrants, appealing to base racism and fear in order to rally his base. Many of his voters are apologists for his words, writing them off as “jokes” or “sometimes he goes to far with what he says.” This minimizes the danger of having someone so unstable in such a position of power.
The saddest thing to me is that many of his voters stuck with him because of legitimate disaffection with the political process. Trump is a master liar and all good lies start with a powerful truth. Trump said the quiet part out loud in 2016. He told the people that their politicians do not care about their interests. He then started his first major lie by then implying that he would be that leader who put the common person first. This lie was more evident than ever in 2025 when, during his inauguration, he moved the events inside and away from the people instead surrounding himself with billionaires and tech luminaries who came to play supplicants in thrall of his rising power.
We now live in a naked oligarchy. Those with money and influence pushed to get Trump in office in order to secure a renewal of Paul Ryan’s tax cuts that occurred during Trump’s first term. Here in lies the one potential check to his power in his second term. Our congressional branch is Republican controlled, but the margins are so thin that they are only going to be able to push through legislation that benefits their backers. IE, renewing tax cuts for the rich.
Historically, this government inaction and structural weakness has benefitted those in power. An unfettered, activist congress ruled by a simple majority could in theory push through legislation that benefits workers at the expense of business owners. The people of this country are seeing wealth inequity, competing with automation, and seeing the loss of blue color jobs from rural communities. The fabric of our lives is wearing thin and the government does very little to change it. It’s not surprising that enough people are disaffected and vulnerable to Trump’s lies.
Trump’s first administration cracked our democracy. His second might destroy it. I fear the anarchy of a revolution brought into existence by pushing on people’s base tribalism to the point where civil discourse falters. As a young queer person coming of age in the 2000s, I watched my life and the lives of my queer brothers and sisters steadily and markedly improve for over a decade. I was hopeful that we were evolving as a society towards a more open and accepting culture. I hoped the advances in technology would enable communication, the exchange of positive ideas, and solve the climate crisis. It’s hard to look at the past few years and see all of that hope grind to a halt and break like glass shattered on stone.
Yes, as I sit here and write out my fears, putting them into language and expressing them to others, I still feel resolute in my purpose. Fighting for dignity, compassion, and justice is never ending. These ideals will never be given. They will always need to be maintained. Even if I won’t see the culture I live in moving towards these values for the conceivable future, fighting for for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future involves holding onto and teaching those values during the tough times. At the very least, I can at keep hope alive in my own life and if enough of us hold onto these values we will make strides again one day.
