Noah Berlatsky: Donald Trump takes office today promising to immediately start in on a litany of human rights abuses and other efforts to harm marginalized people. He's promised a sweeping assault on immigrants in Chicago starting as early as this week. He's said he will said he will sign executive orders to make trans people second class citizens (and effectively deny their existence). In recent days he's indicated that he's going to take his corrupt self-dealing to new levels by promoting numerous shady crypto schemes that will enrich himself and his family. And of course he's pledged to pardon those convicted of violence associated with the January 6 coup attempt, reiterating his disdain for democracy and the rule of law.
It's difficult to find much cause for hope right now. There is one mild glimmer of good news, though. The enthusiasm for Trump almost certainly won't last.
Trump has never had high approval ratings, in part because most of his policies are ill-thought out at best and deeply unpopular at worst. The beginning of a term is usually a honeymoon period when voters and other politicians give the president the benefit of the doubt. But that honeymoon is generally short, and there's plenty of reason to believe that with Trump it will be even shorter.
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