The incoming President of the United States had this to say at the close of 2016:

Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do. Love!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2016

 

“Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do. Love!”

Previous presidents, even divisive figures like Barack Obama and George W. Bush have consistently presented themselves as representing all Americans.  Once the votes are counted, the president has been above the fray; there are no supporters or opponents, only fellow Americans.

This statement may at first seem like an informal off-the-cuff statement not to be taken seriously.  The “just a joke” or “sarcasm” defense has been a common one throughout his campaign. But that defense doesn’t hold water:  Spokespersons for the administration have made clear that tweets will represent official policy.

Richard Nixon kept a list of enemies, but that was a secret – and a scandal. The United States will have a president who publicly holds some number of citizens apart as his enemies. It’s not even the first time the subject has come up.  Before the election, his former reality television co-star and Director of African American Outreach described the president elect as having a long memory and keeping a list of enemies to the Independent Journal Review.

Who are these enemies?  He doesn’t say specifically, but “my many enemies” makes it very clear that he is discussing personal enemies, not the “enemies of freedom” or the “enemies of America” often discussed by George W. Bush. He goes on to address “those who have fought against me and lost.”  The only ones who have “fought against him” are political opponents and those who have campaigned against his agenda.  Prior presidents have stood against those who oppose the American way of life.  This one openly counts Americans and those who speak against him as enemies. In doing so, he, himself, opposes the American way of life.