From Rhetoric to Governing Philosophy

For years, critics of Donald Trump argued that cruelty was not an accident of his politics but a feature of it. In his second administration, that argument no longer feels like hyperbole. It feels descriptive.

What once looked like chaos or incompetence now appears far more intentional. Across multiple areas of government, policies are being enacted in ways that maximize fear, humiliation, and disruption. The suffering caused is not collateral damage. It is part of a broader authoritarian framework that critics have long warned about, including the ideas outlined in Project 2025 and the expansion of unitary executive power.
Continue reading “Cruelty Is the Point: How Trump’s Second Term Governs Through Fear”