The intensity of American reactions to President Donald Trump remains intriguing. I saw it in Boston among both students and faculty during the traumatic 2016 elections. His victory was totally unexpected and there was an emotional, almost visceral response that transcended normal political disagreement. He was the establishment’s worst nightmare and they projected all sorts of fears on to him. The same goes with the media. And this is still the case in his second term, with the polarization persisting beyond what I would consider rational.