Political candidates have always been ready to hurl insults at each other with vigor. Still, until recently, rhetoric had never been dangerous and widespread enough to send a mob to the Capitol building. Trump's rhetoric that the 2020 presidential election was stolen is irresponsible enough. However, his ties to Q-Anon, the far-right conspiracy theory group that believes, among other things, that prominent Democrats are part of a high-profile child sex trafficking ring, is previously unheard of.
Even with Trump out of office, various Republican candidates on today's ballot continue to parrot these false narratives, which have put the lives of Democratic congressmen and women at risk on various occasions.
Today, Americans are not simply voting on who they believe is the best candidate or pledging allegiance to a particular party.
They are voting, in essence, for or against Donald Trump.
Two of the most prominent Trump Republicans running in today's elections are Herschel Walker of Georgia and J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Walker was encouraged by Trump to run before he formally stated his intent to and received Trump's full endorsement upon his announcement. He describes abortion as "a woman killing her baby." Meanwhile, two women have come forward claiming Walker got them pregnant and then paid for the termination of their pregnancies.
J.D. Vance's story is also a complex one.
Vance initially opposed Trump's run for president, believing he was not serious enough for the job. Aside from this, however, he liked Trump's talking points. Eventually, he felt he had to "suck it up" and support him to see through their shared political values.
It's hard to tell which is more disturbing: Vance's disregard for anyone but himself in finding no problem with Trump's rhetoric, his exploitation of addiction and Appalachia for monetization in his book "Hillbilly Elegy," or his indifference to Q-Anon. In September, Trump spoke at one of Vance's rallies in Youngstown, Ohio, embracing various Q talking points while a song tied to the movement played dramatically behind him.
Perhaps the most concerning outcome of the conspiracy theory of the stolen election are the increase in poll watchers who are much more aggressive than those in elections previous to Trump. Many show up armed and loud, a voter intimidation tactic thinly veiled as ensuring the validity of the election.
Trump has a drowning grip on the right and has evoked an immeasurable amount of hysteria among his frenzied supporters and immense fear among everyone else.
My adolescence was benchmarked by the countless times I told myself, "Wow, this has to be it. He's done," and the countless times that this intolerant billionaire with the subtlety and tact of the Kool-Aid Man has maintained unwavering support.
The past few years are also marked by people talking about how they cannot trust politicians but then turning around and supporting a man whose blatant lies have been condemned by both Democrats and prominent Republicans, including Trump's former national security advisor, John Bolton.
As overused as the phrase has become, we truly are living in unprecedented times and based on the predicted outcomes of today's elections, it does not seem we will be regaining any sense of normalcy any time soon.
If you have not voted prior to reading this article, I vehemently encourage you to vote blue, not as a Democrat, but as a young person who is greatly distressed by the direction our country is heading.
Megan Diehl is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Megan know by tweeting her @megandiehl02.