I'm concerned about the future of the US as a healthy society no matter what happens, I'm afraid. I suspect the damage done -- specifically the type of damage done -- is such that it will outlive this horrible man's presidency; possibly even outlive him.
We have emerged in S Africa from a period under a truly morally bankrupt president, but his followers haven't given up hating his opposition within their own party, so that the present government is being to some extent hamstrung in its efforts to repair the damage he did, and it is hard to move on. Partly his supporters were those who benefited from his corruption, but there was also a strong emotional hold, too complex to explain here. People fell for his personality and his status as a political symbol (man of the soil and all that). And so the damage he did continues to bedevil us.
It is under Trump that the right have been encouraged to hate the left, specifically the Democrats. The love/hate dichotomy is a strong one, which is why when the right wing can come up with no thoughtful reaction to an event, the descent into vacuous mockery and delusion becomes more evident. People will deny their own brains and moral standards to cling on to their support of the loved one, like a teenage girl in love with the neighbourhood thug. Teenage girls are still malleable and usually recover from those mistakes, with adults it is far more painful to take off the blinkers and deny what you have been supporting.
I just get the feeling that the massive pool of hate Trump has created is not going to dry up that easily, and could affect your politics and social cohesion for a long time to come. I was never overly naive about the US, I think, but nevertheless I do not recognise the mess it currently is as the country it once was, in spite of counting as friends some wonderful examples of Americans.
I want to be wrong.
Q
Prediction!
Q