'With heavy heart I realised the Trump we had hoped might change was nothing more than a fantasy'

'We saw the emergence of Trump Mark II - inactive arsenic unhinged, much radical, and conscionable arsenic divisive, if not much so, than before. But, the assemblage was smaller, the enthusiasm much subdued, and the hostility successful the aerial thicker'

It was 2017, and similar many, I hoped that Donald Trump's lies and threats connected the run way were thing much than governmental bluster designed to get him into the White House.

After all, this was a antheral who had spent years successful the nationalist oculus with nary governmental experience, and the conception that his clip successful bureau would 'soften' him seemed plausible. Perhaps the value of the office, the responsibilities of governance, would bring astir a much tempered, adjacent presidential, mentation of the antheral we'd seen campaigning. I was wrong.

Fast-forward 8 years, and arsenic I stood astatine the Capitol erstwhile again, freezing successful the acold similar an other from The Revenant, I realised with a dense bosom that the Trump we had hoped clip mightiness alteration was thing much than a fantasy.
Instead, we saw the emergence of Trump Mark II - inactive arsenic unhinged, much radical, and conscionable arsenic divisive, if not much so, than before.

As the ceremonial unfolded, I looked around, surveying the crowd. Eight years ago, the ambiance among those who showed up was electrical with anticipation. There had been a palpable consciousness of excitement among his supporters, who flocked to Washington, D.C., to spot the outsider instrumentality power.

But today, it felt different. The assemblage was smaller, the enthusiasm much subdued, and the hostility successful the aerial thicker—maybe it was conscionable the cold, but I could consciousness it.
Still, Trump strode to the Rotunda's podium with his signature confidence, that diagnostic swagger that has ever defined him. As helium raised his manus to instrumentality the oath of bureau again, it was intolerable not to consciousness a consciousness of disbelief.
Was this antheral truly backmost for different 4 years?

His code that time was a stunning show of the aforesaid divisive rhetoric that had gotten him elected successful the archetypal place.
There was nary consciousness of reflection, nary olive subdivision extended to the radical who had opposed him, nary telephone for unity successful a federation truthful intelligibly fractured. Instead, helium doubled down connected his "us vs them" mentality, fueling the choler of his basal and dismissing immoderate effort astatine reconciliation.

His words were designed to inflame and rally his faithful supporters, keeping them firmly successful his country careless of the consequences for the country. He spoke of winning, of defeating his enemies, of holding powerfulness and wielding it similar a sledgehammer.

It was similar watching idiosyncratic propulsion a tantrum successful a preschool, but with mode much powerfulness and a overmuch bigger audience.
All portion his MAGA faithful - and present shameful tech titans - afloat embraced it. They revelled successful his chaotic policies, his refusal to crook to anyone, and his disregard for norms.

To them, Trump is their leader - a antheral who tin bash nary wrong, who was warring for them against the establishment.
For the millions of Americans who had rejected him successful the archetypal place, the infinitesimal felt similar a nightmare travel to life. These were the radical who had been trying to marque consciousness of his presidency for the past 4 years, and present they had nary prime but to judge the world of different 4 years nether his rule. The disagreement present is much evident than ever.

On 1 side, you had those who saw Trump arsenic a messiah, a saviour who would instrumentality connected the powers that be, nary substance the cost.
On the different hand, determination were those who feared that this 2nd word would beryllium adjacent much destructive and that his unchecked powerfulness would lone pb to much chaos, much harm, and deeper division.
What had begun arsenic a hopeful infinitesimal for a state divided was present a stark reminder of conscionable however fractured America had become.

It seems that Trump Mark II is not going to beryllium the president galore had hoped helium mightiness become. Instead, America is faced with a person who seems much intent connected stoking division, much fixated connected his ain agenda, and much consenting to disregard the volition of fractional the state than ever before. As we walked distant from the Capitol, inactive numb from some the acold and the world of what we had conscionable witnessed, it was hard not to consciousness a consciousness of dread astir what the adjacent 4 years would bring.