When Cruelty Becomes Cool

Trump's return to power has normalized offensive language among a new breed of young conservatives

With Donald Trump’s return to power, one of the most disturbing trends in public discourse has been the casual revival of what was, until recently, widely understood to be an offensive slur — the r-word. This resurgence isn't happening in some dark corner of the internet, but in mainstream spaces, and is now being promoted by influential voices who seem emboldened by Trump's victory.

Miles Klee at Rolling Stone documented the trend earlier this month, highlighting how the word has roared back into common usage across social media platforms. From podcast hosts to tech billionaires, from conservative influencers to ostensibly centrist pundits, the word is being deliberately deployed as a rejection of what they dismissively call "wokeness."

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As Brock Colyar's disturbing dispatch from Trump's inauguration celebrations in New York magazine illustrates, there's a new breed of young conservative for whom offensive language isn't just acceptable — it's a way to demonstrate their bonafides with the ingroup. These aren't the stereotypical MAGA devotees. They're young, urban professionals who view cruelty as both entertainment and ideology.

"Six months into Biden being president, I was like, I can't fucking do this anymore," one 19-year-old told Colyar, explaining his political conversion. He, like others quoted in the piece, specifically cited the ability to use slurs as a key attraction to the MAGA movement. Another former liberal made the same point, telling Colyar he switched sides because he wanted the "freedom" to use offensive language.

Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images