1. Debate Week
I want to set the stage for debate week by going back to 2016 to see where people thought we would be after the election of Donald Trump.
You may remember that there was an argument between those who said that Trump’s elevation to the presidency was likely to create a threat to our democratic republic and those who said that Trump was nothing out of the ordinary; that the anti-Trump movement was hysterical; that he would grow in office; that the GOP would constrain him; that guardrails would ensure he couldn’t do any real damage; that the adults were in charge.
Here are some examples from January 2017:
Rich Lowry told “the media” that they should “[cover] Trump more as a ‘normal’ president rather than as a constant clear and present danger to the republic.”1
Reminder: This was before Trump incited a violent insurrection and attempted to overthrow the government.
But wait—there’s more! So much more.