lol dude look, I'll speak for myself here - I don't want to speak for Todd - the new and dangerous practice began years and years ago and now it's snowballing. Trump took it to the next level. And us going down to his level strengthens his hand because it degrades us all. You don't beat Trump by being him.
I don't know if you've ever interacted with a Trump supporter...like in person? It leaves you with this sinking feeling in your stomach because these people believe this shit. They bend reality to meet the unreality of Trump's words. To compare the rather closed worlds of yesteryear to the hyper connected yes segmented world of today is nonsense. There is a heightened risk of shit going down today. You may not think so - you might look at the 60's and see MLK, Kennedy, riots, Malcolm X, Vietnam, conscription, etc...but things can happen a lot faster today. People can organize in a hot second across the country using an app. This tribalism has been festering for years. The tools are there for somebody to take advantage of it.
Enter: Agent Orange