2018 — Donald J. Trump — White House immigration meeting
“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here? Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out. Why do we want all these people from Africa here? We should have more people from places like Norway.”²
Belonging Becomes Conditional
2019 — Donald J. Trump — Tweet
“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”³
Nationality Expands into Civilization
2020 — Pete Hegseth — American Crusade
“Islam is not a religion of peace, and it never has been… Islamists plan to demographically, culturally, and politically conquer Europe and America.”⁴
The Framing Becomes Existential
2025 — Stephen Miller — Immigration statement
“This is the great lie of mass migration. You are not just importing individuals. You are importing societies. No magic transformation occurs when failed states cross borders. At scale, migrants and their descendants recreate the conditions and terrors of their broken homelands.”⁵
The Language Becomes Biological
2023 — Donald J. Trump — Campaign rally
“They’re poisoning the blood of our country… They’re coming into our country from Africa, from Asia, from South America, from all over the world. They’re poisoning the blood of our country.”⁶
Political Opposition Becomes Infestation
2023 — Donald J. Trump — Veterans Day speech
“We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.”⁷
Leadership Becomes Singular
2023 — Donald J. Trump — CPAC speech
“I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”⁸
Authoritarian Rule Is No Longer Hypothetical
2022 — Donald J. Trump — Truth Social post
“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”⁹
Admiration for Strongman Leadership Appears Openly