America Gets the President We Deserve | Opinion [Video]

Presidential elections are a mirror. Americans on the left and right—hooked on the outrage and intrigue our smartphones and screens consistently deliver—created a media environment that re-elected a president who embodies our perpetual indignation. Donald Trump is not an aberration, but the culmination of our collective appetite that craves spectacle over substance. And we can’t stop watching the messiness unfold as Trump has grown from reality TV star to influencer-in-chief.

Just as we brand ourselves on social media, curating our lives for likes and comments—crafting personas that reflect back what performs best—Trump craves the same validation. His rallies act as live focus groups, where he tests material—from nicknames like “Ron DeSanctimonious” to claims of immigrants eating four-legged friends, Trump tailors his approach to match his audience’s appetites, creating a feedback loop of mutual validation. As our lives are increasingly guided by algorithms, social media doesn’t just show us who we are—it shapes …