Notebook of a Nomad

When it became clear on election night that Trump would win I was overwhelmed with emotions. At first I felt numb. Then heartbroken and helpless. Then scared, confused, and angry. 

Today anger and fear are the strongest emotions I feel when thinking about the ongoing collapse of American society. Since the election, I’ve intentionally put a lot of distance between myself and those who voted for Trump. But today I’m writing an open letter to the Trump voters in my life.

The first question that comes to mind is “WHY???” But honestly, I’m not interested in your empty rationalizations. So instead I’ll ask another question, “How am I supposed to respond to that?” 

You voted for a man who has been openly hostile to democracy since the beginning. You voted for a man we all saw launch a violent terrorist attack attempting to overthrow the government, invalidate 81 million votes (including mine), and end American democracy. You voted for a man who heavily implied that 2024 will be the last election and has removed all the guardrails that stood up to his insurrection attempt last time. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

You voted for a man who defended an angry mob chanting “JEWS WILL NOT REPLACE US!” You voted for a man who was praising Hitler and Nazi generals. You voted for a man who was loudly promising to use the military to round up 20 million people and throw them into concentration camps. You voted for a man quoting Hitler, dehumanizing millions of people, accusing them of “poisoning the blood of our nation.” How am I supposed to respond to that? 

You voted for a man who started his 2024 campaign promising to be a candidate of retribution. You voted for a man leading a movement that was telling me “fuck your feelings,” dedicated to intentional cruelty in order to “trigger/own the libs,” and views empathy as weakness. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

You voted for a man who finds pleasure in stoking anger and division and has turned our home into a bitter, angry place where politics has infected every aspect of our lives. You voted for a man who has stolen my peace of mind, my faith in America, and my love of country. You voted for a man who has been a dark cloud over all of us for over a decade, diminishing our quality of life dramatically. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

You voted for a man who asked our biggest foreign adversary to attack his opponent to increase his chances of winning the 2016 election. You voted for a man who extorted our ally, trying to coerce Zelenskyy into manufacturing dirt on his opponent, in the 2020 election. You voted for a man who has abandoned western civilization and praised autocrats who have dismantled democracy in their own countries and plan to end democracies in countries that they conquer. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

You voted for a man whose gross negligence and lies surrounding COVID killed tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Americans. How am I supposed to respond to that?

You voted for a man who installed judges with the intent of eliminating constitutional rights like bodily autonomy. You voted to take away healthcare from women and the ability of countless couples to have children. You voted for a man who installed judges that essentially made him a king. You voted for a party that installed judges to destroy the Voting Rights Act and campaign finance regulations, selling America to the highest bidder. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

You voted for a man who entered politics with promises claiming he had proof that our first black president was actually a Kenyan muslim and therefore illegitimate. You voted for a man who banned Muslims and intentionally separated latino children from their families permanently. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

You voted for a man who bragged about committing sexual assault and owes one of his victims over $90 million for his sexual assault and the lies related to his sexual assault. How am I supposed to respond to that?  

You voted for a man that has me questioning what you wouldn’t support. It didn’t matter that he was a narcissist, white supremacist/nationalist, rapist, terrorist, nazi or clearly suffering from dementia dancing on stage for 40 minutes. You picked your side a long time ago and I don’t know if anything could ever peel you away from your tribe. So how am I supposed to respond to that? 

I can’t, and I won’t, pretend that you didn’t vote for all these things. My respect, affection, and loyalty for every Trump voter has been severely reduced if not eliminated entirely. You’ve had a decade to take a peek in the mirror but you keep digging your heels in and pointing the finger at someone else and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that.