OPINION:
In the span of two weeks, there have been four instances of Trump administration officials being approached and videoed at restaurants, being asked to leave restaurants or being forced to leave for their own safety because they work in the Trump administration.
On July 2, a woman spoke to then-Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt at a Washington, D.C., restaurant while holding her young son and looking at notes that she had prepared. She told Mr. Pruitt that he should resign. She then posted the encounter on social media. (Mr. Pruitt announced his resignation on July 5.)
On June 17, White House Senior Policy Adviser Stephen Miller was accosted by a patron at the Washington, D.C., restaurant Espita Mezcaleria and called a “real-life fascist.”
When the Metro D.C. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America received word that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was at MXDC Cocina Mexicana on June 19, at least 15 protesters showed up shouting “Shame!” until she was forced to leave.
On June 22, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family were asked to leave The Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia, during the middle of their dinner. She did so without causing a scene and a restaurant staffer quickly wrote about it on social media.
Rather than condemning these actions, members of the left have instead encouraged more hostility. The same weekend as the Huckabee Sanders incident, Rep. Maxine Waters, California Democrat, told attendees at an event to continue publicly harassing members of President Trump’s Cabinet.
This increasing personal nastiness reflects the left’s understanding that they are losing. They can’t win the argument, so they use intimidation, aggression and spectacle.
These examples are evidence that America is at a breaking point of a political-cultural civil war. As I explain in my new New York Times bestselling book, “Trump’s America: The Truth About Our Nation’s Great Comeback,” this civil war is being fought between two sides.
One side is made up of what I called the anti-Trump coalition — an odd mix of liberals, radical activists, globalists, members of the elite establishment (Republicans and Democrats), and unapologetically anti-American groups.
This hostile coalition is loosely bound by its members’ shared disdain for the president. On the other side of this conflict are the members of Mr. Trump’s America — millions of Americans who respect our traditions, uphold our values, cherish our foundational freedoms, defend our history, and believe in limited governance.
Ultimately, the people in Mr. Trump’s America believe our nation is, and must remain, exceptional if it is to remain America. For them, Mr. Trump has sparked a patriotic re-awakening of our founding principles and traditions.
Those in the anti-Trump coalition reject the notion that America is unique or exceptional. They believe our nation should mimic other nations. In fact, they are trying to create a new society that is distinctly not American. The members of this coalition are still in disbelief that they no longer have the reins of our government.
In 2016, they were galvanized by their contempt for the president’s personality and style. However, now their allegiance is strengthened because they see his agenda is working — and they understand their recent fall from power could become permanent.
The fact is, Mr. Trump’s first 18 months in office have been a resounding success. His administration’s policies have resulted in a roaring economy, record low unemployment, increased wages, reduced illegal border crossings, the largest income tax cut and reform in 31 years, a massive reduction in federal rule-making, the near destruction of ISIS and better health care for veterans.
Being full-fledged members of the anti-Trump coalition, those in the elite media have bent over backward to ignore, downplay, malign and actively undermine these successes. This is the primary reason I wrote “Trump’s America” — to tell the truth about this historic presidency, its tremendous effort to make America great again and the bitter forces working to prevent this from happening.
Americans who want to see the Trump-led American revitalization prevail must not get comfortable. As I mentioned, this political-cultural civil war is a fight over our nation’s identity — and there is no room for compromise. One side will win, one side will lose. For those in Mr. Trump’s America, the truth is our greatest weapon. We must continue to tell it.
• Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is the author of “Trump’s America: The Truth About Our Nation’s Great Comeback” (Center Street).
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