In early May, when Donald Trump clinched the nomination, a lot of people like me wrote about “normalizing” Trump. Trump supporters — defenders, “enablers,” apologists — were elevating Trump to normality. They were sweeping his unfitness under the rug. They were normalizers.
Proof of Trump’s normalization is that no one talks about this anymore.
In a world of Trump normalization, it’s no big deal to suggest that a rival’s father had a hand in the Kennedy assassination.
People say, “Ho hum, that’s Trump being Trump. The Donald’s gotta Donald. That’s the way he rolls. You’re not supposed to listen to him, you know? You’re just supposed to feel the emotions, especially the rage.”
But here’s the thing — and it might help explain last night: In Ted Cruz’s mind, it is not normal, or right, that Trump said what he said about Cruz’s dad. Ted may not be ready to “normalize” it. Everyone else has. Not him.
This morning, someone said to Cruz, “But it’s just politics!” Ted said no. Right and wrong matters. Truth matters. Decency matters. Even in politics.
I agree.
Trump could apologize for his disgusting remarks about Ted’s father. But he will not, and his fans love him for it. The rest of us don’t have to.
The Normalized Donald Trump, and the Difference with Ted Cruz