But lawmakers boycotting the peaceful transfer of power at a time of deep division in our country is part of a larger and more troubling trend. Celebrities have also been quick to adopt the rhetoric of “resistance.” Rosie O’Donnell called for martial law. Michael Moore said the election “should be voided” (but didn’t say how). A growing list of celebrity musicians have declined invitations to perform at the inauguration, while others will be there to protest.
This is a blatantly hypocritical posture. Back in October, when Trump foolishly suggested he might not accept the results of the election, it was considered a threat to democracy. Now, it’s an act of patriotism. Americans of all political stripes notice that kind of double standard, especially when the opposing party’s politicians are the ones doing it.
Beyond the hypocrisy is a more sinister trend, common to both sides, of routinely attempting to delegitimize the opposition. Trump first gave credence to Obama “birther” conspiracies back in 2011, and he kept at it for years. The notion that Obama wasn’t born in the United States is perhaps the ultimate form of delegitimization—not only is Obama not eligible to be president, he’s not even an American.
Trump’s not the only one guilty of promoting such conspiracy theories. During Obama’s first term in office, major GOP figures from Newt Gingrich to Mike Huckabee to Sarah Palin, along with other Republican officeholders, made reference to Obama’s upbringing and place of birth. For a certain subset of conservative activists, it’s still a controversy. (Trump himself didn’t admit Obama was born in the United States until September of last year.)
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