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In her November 11th, 2016 Washington Post op-ed Kathleen Parker wrote:
“If Trump wins, he'll be held more or less in check by the House and Senate because that's the way our system of government is set up. Not even Republicans are eager to follow Trump's lead.
“There won't be a wall. He won't impose any religion-based immigration restrictions, because even Trump isn't that lame-brained. He'll dress up and behave at state dinners and be funny when called upon. He'll even invite the media to the White House holiday party. He won't nuke Iran for rude gestures. He won't assault women. He and Vladimir Putin will hate each other, respectfully.”
As the meme goes, this did not age well.
If you’re reading this, you always knew Trump’s presidency would end this way. You knew it wouldn’t be fine no matter who won. You knew that after four years of Donald Trump occupying the oval office, our country would be in a near state of devastation. You knew that Trump, as avatar for all of the ills of our society, would embolden and give cover for every racist, nazi and white supremacist that walk among us. Perhaps the only thing we couldn’t have predicted is the over 400,000 people dead from COVID who did not live to see this day.
Like you, I have spent the past four years infuriated by papers of record that had a pathological need to normalize the truly aberrant. While I’ve been happy to see the media cover the January 6th insurrection with the gravity it deserves, I’m not exactly encouraged about the next four years of media coverage. Last night on the 11th Hour with Brian Williams, Williams, Ashley Parker and Sam Stein all referred to Mar-a-Lago as the Southern White House without a hint of irony. There is only one White House and it’s The People’s House. It is where we try to uphold the belief that everyone has an equal say in the government. It is not the Palm Beach marketplace where for four years pardons and favors have gone to the highest bidder, while our leader shirked his responsibilities and played golf while people perished. And for journalists to refer to it as such shirks their responsibilities, further normalizing the abnormal.
Sadly, they are not alone. Today, with zero reflection, The New York Times Daily featured Trump supporters with this logline “How do Trump supporters view the attack on the Capitol and how are they feeling before Joe Biden’s inauguration?” Enough. It’s time to highlight the voters who preserved democracy, not those seeking to destroy it.
I fear our short memories. I worry that in our fervent desire to return to “normal”, we will blackout the devastating effects of the Trump presidency, some of which have yet to even be felt. And I dread our papers of record and cable hosts, who we rely on for “the first draft of history,” as they set a narrative for audiences designed to gin up ratings and clicks will not take our most recent history into full account.
Tomorrow at 12:01pm Joseph Robinette Biden will be the 46th President of the United States. Kamala Devi Harris will be the first woman Vice President in American history; she will be the first Black Vice President and the first person of Asian descent to be elected to the Executive branch. Her historic election is the antithesis of these last four years, the most fitting end to the Trump administration. And while it is long overdue, it is still a cause for celebration, a moment to be commemorated.
But while the Trump era will end, Trumpism won’t.
One of the things that I’m most proud of is that DAME never wavered in its coverage of the white supremacist policies of this administration and the Republican party. Unlike so many of the biggest outlets, we never ignored the dangers of the Trump era. When the legacy of Trump is one of exposing the fragility of democracy, the existential threat of white supremacy, and attacks on our systems, like a free press, it’s incumbent on us at DAME to continue to cover the incalculable and damaging impact of Trumpism, long after he’s gone.
As I’ve written before, I’m an optimist. I do believe that better days are ahead, and that while it may talk a long time, the damage can be repaired. And I believe that not only will DAME be there every step of the way, but that the work we do will help to repair it.
Jennifer Reitman
Founder/Publisher
PS. I love hearing from our readers, and I want to know what you're feeling right now. Will you be toasting with champagne tomorrow? Are you nervous about how to push Biden's agenda forward? Email me anytime at jennifer.reitman@damemagazine.com and share your thoughts!
I do also hope, if you’re able, you’ll consider joining in our mission by becoming a supporting member. It's our members that made possible so many of the stories that we were early on relative to corporate media, and just a few dollars a month ensures that we can continue in our mission.
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