Living through the apocalypse

They say people can get used to anything, and now I know it's true

After a wildfire.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock)

They say people can get used to anything, and now I know it's true.

During the first few months of 2017, Donald Trump's critics would respond to the new president's lies, corruption, and incompetence by repeating the line, "This isn't normal." They were right. But nearly four years later, it is no longer the case. It's as normal as the sunrise or a blue sky on a crisp fall day. As is this same president repeatedly suggesting that the results of the upcoming election will be unreliable, and his attorney general backing him up while blaming his political opponents. Professional pundits and committed partisans still work up a head of steam about such statements, but most others respond with little more than an exhausted sigh at what has clearly become the new normal.

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Damon Linker

Damon Linker is a senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also a former contributing editor at The New Republic and the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test.