‘What fresh hell is this’: Donald Trump stokes fresh culture war and sits on real issues because that’s how he rolls

We know Donald Trump, right? What has been his go-to technique every time his actions demand to be explained, or when his inability (re: refusal to take action) to deal with the real, deadly issues is no longer hiding behind his verbal guarantees? He riles up a whole new drama to play divide and conquer, riling up everyone so that his failure to be a leader (or a human being) gets buried.

Since he is in no mood to explain why he deported a four-year-old American citizen with stage 4 cancer without his meds and doctors, how his empty words to stop Russia’s Ukraine invasion continue to achieve nothing, or his enraging policies that strive to end women’s freedom, the president has pulled out a fresh topic of dispute from his box of tricks – Columbus Day.

O…kay. Can someone in his office, the scores of Republicans nodding along every time he makes a senseless boast, tell their hero that Columbus Day remains a federal holiday in the United States, which means he is reinstating nothing?

Now, in the last decade or so, Columbus Day has indeed been a topic of debate as some see Christopher Columbus as a hero of exploration and a pillar of Italian-American pride, while others see him as a symbol of colonization, violence, and the death of indigenous people brought about by his voyages. But even though some celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day, it was never legally abolished.

So, what Trump is doing is using the celebration of Columbus to ignite mutiny in his base by framing them as victims of “radical activists” and “leftists” who “erase American history.” And by portraying him as a defender of “traditional America,” he becomes the hero for conservative voters who view any criticism of Columbus as an attack on patriotism or heritage, as well as pitting them against progressives who prefer more inclusive national holidays.

A complex history turned into a weapon to cause political tension, deepen polarization, stir up identity fears, and sideline the burning issues that actually need attention.

This is not exactly the first time that Trump has used this destructive tactic to spark division. Like when NFL players kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality, instead of recognizing it as a peaceful protest, he loudly slammed them for disrespecting the flag, “American values,” and the military, while demanding that they be fired.

So, this is not new. It’s a classic Trump trick – pick a real or imaginary cultural topic of tension, exaggerate how it is attacking the traditional American way of life, and then puff out his chest as the only one brave enough to fight back.