In an increasingly polarized America, relativist rhetoric – a phenomenon where facts are ignored to fit one’s political tendencies – has exploded. Not only does relativist rhetoric cause a breakdown of basic fact and reality, but the practice is also becoming a huge stressor on American civic life.
Some of the most prominent practitioners of relativist rhetoric are President Trump and his allies. Since entering the political arena a decade ago, the president has frequently employed relativist arguments, with the starkest example manifesting after the riots in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump claimed that little wrong was done that day and that it was a “day of love.” Video evidence contradicts these words, with several videos showing violent clashes between protesters and Capitol Police. In other videos, rioters were seen carrying a make-shift gallows while shouting “hang Mike Pence!”
Since winning reelection, Trump and company have employed similar tactics. A notable example is Trump’s firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. The president accused the agency of posting a “RIGGED” jobs report to sour his public image.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sacked Defense Intelligence Agency Chief Lt. Gen. Jeffery Kruse after a leaked internal memo said the agency believed the U.S. military’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites were not as successful as the president and his allies had claimed.
The American left has also ignored facts that are inconvenient to its narrative. Following the strikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites, some Democrats decried the action as a unilateral declaration of war, a fair argument under the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
However, that resolution has been fangless under both parties, as demonstrated by President Biden’s airstrikes in Yemen, President Obama’s actions in Libya and Syria, and President Clinton’s air campaigns in Iraq and Kosovo.
Additionally, certain netizens on the left seem obsessed with wanting to see Trump fail. They cling to irregularities, such as photos of his swollen ankles, as omens. When President Trump was not seen by the media for four days over Labor Day two months ago, speculation ran wild. After Trump made a public appearance following the holiday, some social media users analyzed his appearance in search of evidence to support their fallacious opinions.
While these examples may appear to some as ugly partisanship – which is nothing new in American society – they are indicative of a much larger problem: that objective fact in this country is becoming debatable.
When our perception of fact and logic are decided in political echo chambers, we lose our ability to engage in effective political discourse.
This kind of political discourse is foundational to a functioning democratic republic.
