American politics continues to be determined by social media, whose tone remains reliably shrill. Republicans peddle philosophies that are not particularly conservative. Everything has been reduced to sentimentality, and core complaints are rooted in notions that are considered good because they are old. Conservatism at its best is based on ideas backed by reason and supported by science. Democrats may have their spells of ultra-sweet puerile thoughts, but on the whole, they want to move clumsily into the future.

For both parties, Donald Trump remains a conundrum. Issues like abortion or foreign policy tend to “bore” him. He rejects the hawkishness of GOP and Democratic foreign policy militants, and he is not particularly fond of the Moral Majority. Technology and wealth bedazzle the President. Add on his fascination with redoing Washington in his neoclassical vision. As for culture, Trump prefers prize fights and Broadway show tunes. To say he is eclectic in his taste is certainly an understatement. Trump is one of a kind, not likely to be seen again in the White House.

Or maybe this isn’t the case. Given America’s fondness for conspiracy theories and political baby talk, another figure like Trump may emerge. A.J. Liebling surmised, “If Hoover by some disastrous miracle had been re-elected in 1932, Huey [Long] might within two years have crystallized around himself all the discontent, rational and irrational, in the country. Roosevelt and his New Deal intervened.” Given that the United States has found it difficult to solve major issues without enduring pain, another polarizing figure, such as Trump or Long, could emerge.

Partially, the reason is that Americans have witnessed a huge amount of change in a short time. Elon Musk, Artificial Intelligence, and a massive shift in what Americans prefer shake every institution in the Republic. This June, the nation witnessed Trump’s Ultimate Fighting Championship and LGBTQ Pride Week. Trump, amid the ruins at the White House, gets to play Emperor Commodus and the gladiators; the pride celebrations are events that would not have been possible years ago. In many respects, they represent a Roman Holiday 73 AD style. Some applaud these changes, but some do not and never will. The divisions in the country are stark and deep.

Of course, Democrats tend to see changes as an inevitable response to human needs and perception. Certainly, no one could really believe that the world of their childhood would last forever. But the doggedness of resistance to some changes, such as Civil Rights, remains persistent. The US Supreme Court under John Roberts seems determined to hold back the aspirations of many, although it is not quite like Roger B. Taney’s court with its infamous Dred Scott decision; it leans toward a reactionary line.

For many voters, a slower and more traditional pace is preferred. What it amounts to is a generous offer of someone else’s hospitality. Too many citizens see their own happiness as far more important than someone else’s longing for their parents’ world. Likewise, the anti-immigration movement is regarded by many as a throwback to the nativist attitudes in the 19th century. With this level of polarization, American politics will not lose its incendiary nature.

Whether you like him or not, Trump redesigned US politics. No longer will “norms” govern behavior. A “new elite” of a super-wealthy group of unprincipled billionaires, through consultants, reigns supreme. The young hustlers with their questionable taste and spotty educations have replaced the old establishment. For this, you can thank the political culture of the last thirty years.