Once upon a time, Republicans ran for office while crowing about the United States being the greatest country in the world, waving American flags, and chanting “U-S-A!” It was a whole patriotic show. Anyone who disagreed was a traitor.
Along with the notions of “family values” and “strong national defense,” Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has now radically transformed the GOP into the party that hates our country.
At Tuesday’s presidential debate, Trump called our country “lost,” a “failing nation,” a “nation that is dying,” and a “nation in serious decline.” He claimed that Minneapolis “burned down,” said immigrants are “pouring into our country and killing people,” and rarely missed an opportunity to crap on this country.
This is nothing new for Trump, who has previously called the United States “pathetic,” a “third-world hellhole,” and a “stupid country.” It just goes on and on.
Apparently he chose his vice presidential nominee well, because Ohio Sen. JD Vance raised eyebrows earlier this week with this doozy:
Bizarrely, Vance claimed the U.S. isn’t the most prosperous country in the world, when it is—and it’s not even close. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had some words for Vance:
Republicans have rooted against our Olympians and revealed their hate for American democracy. Trump cheered the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team World Cup elimination. Today’s conservatives cheer dictators like Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign have certainly noticed:
These really are two very different visions of the United States. And no doubt, things likely look terrible from meth country. (Fun fact: Counties with more meth labs directly correlate with higher Trump support.)
But Republicans won’t deliver rural Americans any salvation from their misery. Trump is just feeding their sense of grievance by validating a very dark view of life in this country.
