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The unique threat and vileness of Donald Trump\\u2019s presidency can\\u2019t be overstated. Since he took office a year ago, he\\u2019s increased civilian deaths in Afghanistan by 50%, increased civilian deaths in Syria and Iraq (surpassing Obama\\u2019s death toll in just under 7 months), issued dozens of nuclear threats against North Korea, unraveled the Iran deal, bombed Hezbollah, Iranian and SAA positions in Syria, signed a smash and grab tax bill for billionaires, and issued order after order making life hell for immigrants and other vulnerable communities.

But with this unique threat comes a rhetorical habit of "Trumpwashing" that, while perhaps tempting in the short term, will - in the long term - have disastrous effects. \\xa0

The desire to revamp the image of the pre-Trump Republican party and the United States in general \\u2013 a concept Ali Abunimah coined \\u201cTrumpwashing\\u201d - is a favorite rhetorical tic of Russia-obsessed democrats and centrist extremists who\\u2019s primary charge is treating the phenomenon of Donald Trump as anomalous from American history, rather than its most pure, and even logical, manifestation. This trope - in addition to denying the realities of the past hundred years of American politics and policy - carries with it pernicious long term effects.

We discuss this broader narrative with The Intercept\'s Jon Schwarz.