I Hate Hate

Sadly, it's on display

When Trump announced his Madison Square Garden rally, like many of you I’m sure, I told friends and family I expected a disaster—that he and his repugnant enablers, sycophants, and cheerleaders wouldn’t be able to control themselves. Because this is who they are—small, spiteful, hateful little…(please feel free to fill in the rest of this sentence with whatever colorful language you like.)

I had expected a pretty low bar (limbo anyone?), but the parade of bigotry and ridiculousness was even more on-brand MAGA than I thought was possible. A warm-up act “comedian’s” disparaging of Puerto Rico has drawn the most attention, but it was just one of many outrages shouted from the Trump-branded podium.

Which is why I was surprised by this headline on CNN describing the aftermath:

Trump’s offensive Madison Square Garden rally triggers fears of an overshadowed message and fallout with Puerto Rican voters

Excuse me? I’m sorry, what? And what message exactly are we overshadowing? But it gets worse. Here’s how the article begins:

The violent and vulgar rhetoric at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally Sunday has prompted finger-pointing within the former president’s inner circle and deep concern that his message was once again eclipsed by controversy.

I was with them at the beginning; “violent” and “vulgar” do seem like apt adjectives for the hate-fest we saw in the hall. But “deep concern that his message was once again eclipsed by controversy?!?!” Have we been watching the same campaign and candidate? Violence and vulgarity ARE the message, or at least they are before the mainstream press often tidies up the lies and malevolence by condensing them into euphemistic paraphrases of acceptability.

This campaign is fueled by hate—hate for diversity, for progress, for women, for democracy, for expertise, for facts, for the truth itself. At its center is a pathetic, egotistical would-be dictator, fueled by his own petty, self-serving hatreds.

The word “hate” originates from the Old English hata, meaning “enemy” or “opponent.” Its roots lie in the divide between “us” and “them”—in the act of othering. But real hate isn’t a game; it can mean life or death, sometimes on unimaginable scales.

Many people, me included, throw the word “hate” around casually in conversation. I hate getting stuck in traffic, and I hate soggy sandwiches. As a San Francisco kid, I “hated” Los Angeles, especially the Dodgers. But mostly, that was performative bluster—I actually loved the sun, Disneyland, and visiting extended family who lived there. I “hated” fish on pizza, until I tried it and realized I loved anchovies.

Growing up, my mom often reminded us, “hate is a strong word.” And it is. But so, I’d argue, is “love,” and we use it pretty freely too. “I’d love to meet up.” “I love it when there’s no line at the coffee shop.”

I think most people understand the difference between casual uses of “hate” and “love” and the real things. And with Trump we are tapping into the worst kinds of hate, the full strength of the word my mother warned us about. This is a hate that incites violence. This is a hate that would round up millions of people living in this country and put them into camps. This is a hate that exacts revenge on “the enemy within.”

One of the arguments for why Trump is doing so well in the polls is that people don’t really believe what he’s saying. But have you ever heard Trump laugh? Is there ever a twinkle of, “I’m only joking,” in his eyes? We don’t have to read his mind to figure out what he really intends. We have more than enough evidence from what we saw on January 6. That was a mob whipped into a fury of violence by hate. But Trump calls it “a day of love.” He echoed that sentiment when he called the Garden rally a “love fest.”

It’s Orwellian.

I hate hate. The real kind. The kind that has led to mass death and suffering throughout history. This kind of hate has been part of this nation since its founding. It led to the extermination of Native peoples, the abominable slave trade, lynchings, and Jim Crow. It fueled the demonization of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the internment of Japanese Americans, the Red Scare, persecution of the LGBTQ+ community, the scapegoating of public health officials during the pandemic, and so much more.

Trump didn’t invent hate in America, but he knows how to embrace it, exploit it, and use it to fuel his rise to power.

Yesterday, President Biden inartfully waded into the Puerto Rico controversy by making a statement in which it could appear he called Trump supporters “garbage.” The President later clarified his intent. But predictably, Trump’s team—helped along by the mainstream media which ran with the story—is seizing on it, casting it as a repeat of Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorables” comment from 2016. Clearly, MAGA leaders are eager to deflect attention from the rally's aftermath.

But ask yourself: Is this truly Biden’s character? Does anyone genuinely believe he’s motivated by hate? He has worked tirelessly to be a president for all Americans, channeling investments and disaster relief aid into regions heavily populated by Republican voters. Contrast this with Trump, who repeatedly sought to withhold support from areas that didn’t back him politically.

And consider Vice President Harris, campaigning alongside supportive Republicans, speaking earnestly about national unity and respect, even amidst differences. There’s no hint of hatred in her voice, nor in her message.

Yet once again, it’s Republicans projecting. They are the ones wielding cynicism and sowing division. I despise cynicism. I despise divisiveness. But I don’t hate Republicans. I do, however, hate demagogues and fascists who lie, cheat, and would eagerly destroy American democracy. 

“Hate” is a strong word, but sometimes it’s deserved. Make of that what you will.