In the midst of a terrible moment, “better” seems a hopeless, foolish wish; the temperature will rise forever and always. Of course, that’s not how anything works. Ebbs do follow flows, even if the change arrives not nearly soon enough.

The end of Trump, whenever it comes, will not magically wash away all tensions. I do think, though, it will subdue one terrifically corrosive element of the culture whereby you see someone with a MAGA sign or hat and conclude the is awful. Accurate or not, this clearly is not an ideal reaction if one cares about both community and individual well-being. To be sure, going forward there will be other markers that trigger negative responses, but I struggle to see any of them surpassing Trump. I have this faith because it’s tough to imagine a more divisive figure than Trump. If that prediction is true, whenever future triggers begin, one can partially comfort himself by recalling that this current thing can’t possibly be more incendiary than Trump. I may not like this thing you support, but at least it’s not Trump.