The amped up hate in the United States has only one source, and it is the elected president of the United States, Donald J. Trump. It is disingenuous and tiring to hear the false equivalence that rhetoric on both sides is responsible for the recent expressions and consequences of hate, attempted and successful mass murder. Trump is unlike any United States President in over the past 70 years. With Trump, the buck never stops with him. It is always someone else’s fault. Instead of taking responsibility and setting the tone for the national dialogue, actively working to find bipartisan policy solutions, Trump does the opposite.

Examples of his conceit, arrogance, and perfidy are legion and legendary. As a propagandist, he speaks down with tweets and slogans to everyone, supporters or not. His unscripted comments belie any scripted teleprompter remarks. His cabinet choices and its members’ excesses make it the most corrupt in generations. If we have not forgotten, witness Scott Pruitt, Tom Price, Wilbur Ross, and to a lesser degree, Zinke, and Mnuchin as a short list.  His family, in particular Ivanka and Jared, are at the head of our government that is more like a patriarchy. He mocks the disabled. He insults military leaders and says he is smarter than they are. He denigrates fallen military heroes by mocking their parents. He equates the protesters in Charlottesville as being equally valid, where another hate fueled murder took place. He lies about his and Republican health care views. After actively trying to repeal protections in the ACA for pre-existing conditions, he and his minions say they support it in contradiction to their documented views. He now lies that another tax cut will take place before the election. It would take volumes to outline his serial lying. In truth the only ones to benefit from the tax cuts are the uber wealthy. McConnell has already said that social security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits will need to be cut given the exploding deficits, the result of the tax cuts for the uber wealthy and corporations flush with profits. He relentlessly attacks a free press. He fans the flames of intolerance, idolatry, and hatred every chance he gets at his endless rallies, reminiscent of propagandist rallies of an ugly and violent historical past.

His press secretary, Sarah Sanders, says that he is a fighter and will fight back when criticized, rather than that he is thin skinned. I would agree. He is more reptilian in his responses than humane.

Stoke the hate to divide to conquer. Trump’s love affair with money is now matched with his lust for power. He serves no one but himself. Bent at his knee, the support of diverse sycophantic Republicans, not limited to Mike Pence, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Devin Nunes, Steve Bannon, and David Duke, and his lesser admirers in government, including NJ Representatives Chris Smith, Leonard Lance, Rodney Freylinghusen, Tom MacArthur, and Frank LoBiando shows he knows what he is doing. He is consolidating power by promulgating and fanning flames of divisiveness, fear, and hate.

It is said that a fish rots from the head, what we now witness in our democracy under this president. With an aristocracy and oligarchy replacing our democracy, with sinister and faux expressions of nationalism, fascism with its erosion of the Bill of Rights is in the balance.

Jonathan Shutman is a retired Monmouth County Public School Administrator and Registered Democrat.