In July of 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump announced that the fate of the country was in peril. In a televised speech, Trump announced that only one person was equipped to turn the sinking ship of America around. This wasn’t the first “fire and brimstone” political speech in our history, and certainly wouldn’t be the last. And this man once seen as a performative figure — a political sideshow — has metamorphosed into a towering and singular figure in America whose significance goes far beyond politics.
Some would argue his influence has taken on an almost religious character.
