When we look back at this era, we will think that it was a terrible mistake to acquiesce in the normalization of Trump while he systematically decimated faith in the institutions that are, under normal circumstances, supposed to supply the facts people use to make decisions.
If you want to think about what an alternative history could have looked like, see this statement by Senator Harry Reid from the Friday after the 2016 election, in which he called then-President-elect Trump “a sexual predator who lost the popular vote.” motherjones.com/politics/2016/…
Reid, 11/11/16: “White nationalists, Vladimir Putin and ISIS are celebrating Trump’s victory, while innocent, law-abiding Americans are wracked with fear—especially African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Muslim Americans, LGBT Americans & Asian Americans.” motherjones.com/politics/2016/…
Reid: “Watching white nationalists celebrate while innocent Americans cry tears of fear does not feel like America. I’ve heard more stories in the past 48 hours of Americans living in fear of their own government & their fellow Americans than I can remember hearing in 5 decades.”
Here’s the rest of Senator Reid’s statement from the Friday after the 2016 election. An approach to opposition that rejected Trump’s normalization from day one was possible. For better or worse, a different path was chosen. 
