"Every time Donald Trump targets someone, there’s an implicit threat of violence. His language is violence, filled with physicality and passing allusions. But he also knows, full and well, he has at his disposal a legion of followers more than willing to threaten and attack.
"Fascists and authoritarians wield the danger of unhinged, understood violence. When Trump targets you, his white-hot spotlight unleashes an entire sick culture that pounds on your life. They stalk, they threaten, they make your life a living hell.
"This implicit promise of violence ensures many won’t speak out. It pushes people out of careers, forces people into hiding. It creates a situation where writing a column or saying something could lead to a pipe bomb in the mail, a man walking in a business with an AR15.
"Meanwhile, Trump doesn’t have to THE THING explicitly. I watched this happen in his rallies. Trump would tiptoe up to THE THING, the murderous threat, the promise of fascism, and his supporters would go ahead and say it for him. That connection is there, and it’s stunning.
"I heard them call for the overthrow of government. Armed insurrection. Bombing of politicians. The hailing of opponents. Lobotomization. Rape and assault. They heard where Trump was going and they went there with him. They jumped in with both feet.
"And because Trump doesn’t have to be specific and overt, because he doesn’t say THE THING outright, it earns him deniability. The press won’t hold him accountable. He was joking. He’s inarticulate. You know how he is. Meanwhile, the threat is delivered, the environment charged.
"Countries don’t become fascistic nightmare states overnight. Authoritarians change the environment slowly, over time, in crawling, almost imperceptible ways. They desensitize us, poisoning reality. Trump is getting more brazen. Make no mistake. He’s calling for blood."
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