The 5 stages of grief
This morning, I woke up to what I’d expected: Trump has won and will be taking office in January. As I scrolled through my social media feeds and watched a few respected voices weigh in, I saw how the mainstream media was diagnosing Kamala’s loss and Trump’s win.
So, did they finally get it right? Had the Democrats taken a hard look at their mistakes? Or was this just more of the same blindness and arrogance? Predictably, it was the latter. On Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough blamed progressives for using pronouns and anti-genocide protests on college campuses. Chris Matthews piled on, faulting Democrats for allowing immigration to be a focal issue and suggested they needed a more hawkish candidate.
Then there was Louise Jordan with the worst take of all: “The Progressive Era has to end if Democrats want to win again.” But let’s be honest—when was the Democratic Party ever truly progressive? They controlled the White House and Congress for the first two years of Biden’s presidency and yet enacted no major progressive policies. Codifying Roe v. Wade, marriage equality, basic trans rights—none of it. They didn’t even consider expanding the Supreme Court to prevent far-right domination. Instead, election after election, Democrats chase Republican support, ignoring the progressive left, and then they wonder why they lose. They just keep blaming everyone else and doubling down on the same losing strategy.
Remember how Hillary’s loss was blamed on “Bernie Bros”? Never mind her hawkish policies, or the way the DNC sidelined young voters who were sick of business as usual. Hillary thought she had voters’ loyalty without needing to earn it. Now, Kamala’s loss is blamed on the values of Palestinian rights, immigrant rights, trans rights, and women’s autonomy—as if those ideals are somehow incompatible with the Democratic Party’s. When you listen to their messaging and wonder if you’ve accidentally tuned into Fox News, you have to question: why support a party that increasingly sounds like the opposition? Sure, they might use more polished language, but beneath it, the message is the same. Both parties are driven by corporate donors, and that influence shapes their priorities—citizens be damned.
It’s not just the Democratic Party at fault, though they deserve most of it. The so-called “left-wing” media—CNN, MSNBC—has played its part too. Since 2015, they’ve dedicated nonstop coverage to Trump. Sure, there were things that needed coverage, but 24/7? Take Rachel Maddow, for example. Before 2015, she covered real issues like the Flint water crisis and munitions burning at Camp Minden—actual journalism. But the moment Trump descended that escalator, it was wall-to-wall Trump coverage, every scandal, every ridiculous remark, amplified across major networks. And why? Because Trump is great for ratings.
I’m also frustrated by calls to “heal the divide and return to civility.” How? How do we go back to pretending our neighbors, friends, and family aren’t harboring xenophobic, racist, and transphobic beliefs? The mask is off, and these sentiments didn’t appear overnight—they were just kept quiet until recently. So no, I don’t see a way to gloss over this divide. Maybe I’m too raw, too close to the moment. But right now, I just can’t see a hopeful outcome.