When the divider in chief pretends to be a uniter

For much of the past century the presidency has been hollowed out, as the head of the executive branch has sought to become closer to the people, more partisan, more the mobilizer of the masses. And now that the parties have so completely sorted themselves ideologically, the president has begun to speak to and for merely the part of the country that supports him and his party. Most of us find ourselves stirred when a politician adopts the old lofty rhetoric; Barack Obama launched his national career in politics with a speech that was shot through with such transcendent ideals. But it becomes more challenging with each passing year.

With President Trump, the old words get spoken, but the meaning has been vacated. When he talks about “the people,” he means only those Americans who voted for him or who find his tribalistic vision of the country appealing. The rest? They’re welcome to join in making America great again (as he defines greatness). But if they refuse, preferring a different vision of greatness? One always suspects the president would prefer to consign them to the category of the losers and the haters. We all know he might very well do exactly that in an early morning tweet.