Live After Quit

“Vulgarity, Insults, and Baseless Attacks: Are Trump Supporters Following Their Leader’s Lead?

In recent years, many have noticed that vocal supporters of President Donald J. Trump have adopted a rather unique approach to politics and discourse—one that’s characterized by vulgarities, insults, and seemingly baseless attacks. Unfortunately, this trend appears to be escalating and it’s become increasingly common to hear Trump backers hurling personal insults and hurling derogatory statements toward those who differ from them in opinion. But where does this pattern of name-calling and personal attacks originate from? Certainly, those who follow Trump have their own reasons for why they sometimes resort to such crass communication, but much of it can be attributed to Trump himself and the style of discourse he has utilized throughout his presidency. During his campaign and first years in office, Trump has often fired off personal insults and ad hominem attacks against those he doesn’t agree with. This includes names like “Crooked Hillary” and “Little Marco”, which Trump used to refer to his political opponents during the 2016 campaign. President Trump has even been criticized for using derogatory language aimed at racial, ethnic and religious minorities. The President’s language in the past—and today—appears to have had an influence on those who follow him, as his supporters have also adopted a similar approach to politics and discourse. It’s common to hear some among the President’s base hurling personal insults and degrading terms toward those they disagree with. It’s understandable why people support certain policies or politicians, but such support should never be expressed through name-calling and personal attacks. Such behavior undermine the foundations of our democracy and it’s important to remember that democracy only works when those who disagree can still engage in civil dialogue and debate. Therefore, it’s concerning to see a growing trend of partisan animosity and name-calling among Trump’s vocal supporters. There’s no place for such discourse in our society and we should strive to create a culture of mutual respect, understanding, and open-mindedness in our communities. We can all agree that insults have no place in the public square.