The United States, torn by widespread insurgency and misinformation, is witnessing a political and social real-time rearrangement unfolding: we split into three Americas.
Why it matters: America, in its basic modern components, breaks through into Blue America, Red America and Trump America – all with different politics, social networks and media outlets.
The existential question for Republicans, and perhaps America, is whether Trump America – animated by Newsmax + Rush Limbaugh + Tucker Carlson + Parler (or whatever it replaces) – is overshadowing the traditional Red America in power for years to come.
- The danger: Parts of Trump America, canceled by Twitter and so many others, are severing their ties to the reality of the other America, in effect going underground. There will be less attention and perhaps attention to what is said and done.
- Axios’ Sara Fischer reports that Apptopia has seen an increase in downloads for conservative-friendly social networks – Parler, MeWe and Rumble – in the past two days after Trump bans by mainstream social media and tech.
The big picture: The Republican Party is splitting in two, starting with the breaking down of the relatively small Never Trumpers in 2016 and joined four years later by a new raft of established Republicans who were rejected by President Trump’s post-election actions.
- We have no idea how big this faction will become. But it seems clear that the Trump vs. hen saga will dominate for months and maybe years to come.
There is no hard evidence yet Trump America has shrunk significantly, despite the lies about the election and the mob attacks on the Capitol.
- There is hard evidence Trumpers flock to social media groups and far-right outlets like Newsmax to get and share news that reinforces their views.
- It takes a while to determine whether voters share the anti-Trump views of Senate Leader Mitch McConnell or Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
- Twitter’s decision To permanently suspend Trump, this faction is pushing further underground.
Blue America is emerging in almost every area:
- It won control of all three branches of government; dominates traditional media; owns, controls and lives on the dominant social platforms; and has the employee-level power at Big Tech companies to enforce business decisions.
It comes down to: Now, more than ever, it is time to read and think: our nation is rethinking politics, freedom of speech, the definition of truth and the price of lies. This moment – and our decisions – will be studied by our children’s grandchildren.