Trump’s Tribalism Divides America

Sep 12, 2026 02:02 PM EDT, Sat

During an August 2024 Meet the Press edition, Senator Lindsey Graham (T‑SC) berated Republicans who endorsed Kamala Harris. That moment crystallized the divide for me: Country Over Party versus Party Over Country.

Trump has hijacked the Republican Party and perverted it into the Trumpian Party. There are no true Republicans left in Congress; they’ve drunk the Jim Jones Flavor‑Aid.

Only a few voices still speak with clarity above the noise — people like Michael Steele and John Kasich.

Trumpism relies on tribalism to divide Americans, using coded language and constant vilification. Since 2025, I’ve said that Trump is not President of the United States — he is President of the Divided States of America. Nothing illustrates that better than granting FEMA aid to red states while denying aid to blue states.

Here in South Carolina, Trumpism has permeated the state level.

Our Attorney General, Alan Wilson, has become one of Trump’s most ardent water boys. At every court level where Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders are adjudicated, Wilson — along with members of the Trump‑aligned Attorneys General Association — files amicus briefs defending him.

The good news: Wilson will no longer be Attorney General. The bad news: he’s running for governor. And if past trends hold, he’ll likely win with around 56% of the vote.

I hope he chooses to serve all South Carolinians. But I’m not holding my breath.

Toxic rhetoric and the politics of hate have to stop — on both sides

Politicians should be telling us what they’re going to do for the country, not trying to stoke hatred and fear.

By John Kasich

Sept. 12, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT

John Kasich served as the governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. He was a Republican presidential candidate in 2000 and 2016. He is an MS NOW contributor.

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