The ruling as out of bounds any discussion of Trump's contempt for democracy is not merely some unfortunate by-product of the right's rhetorical gambit, but its central purpose. Trump has been glorifying and stoking violence since he entered politics. He has urged his rally-goers to "kick the crap out of" counterprotesters; has fantasized about unleashing the brute strength of his supporters ("I have the tough people, but they don't play it tough"until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad"); and, of course, mass-pardoned the insurrectionists who did precisely that on January 6, 2021.