That language is drawing rebuke from historians, who compared it to that of authoritarian leaders. In the speech, Trump once again portrayed himself as a victim of a political system that is out to get him and his supporters. AdvertisementYet Trump’s use of the word “vermin” both in his speech and in a Truth Social post on Saturday drew particular backlash. “The language is the language that dictators use to instill fear,” said Timothy Naftali, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. “When you dehumanize an opponent, you strip them of their constitutional rights to participate securely in a democracy because you’re saying they’re not human.

Source: Washington Post November 13, 2023 21:49 UTC