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A few days ago, an old musician buddy of mine in Nashville sent me a sharp comment he knew would get under my skin.

He’s fully conscious that I’m a vulnerable point these days, as much as I attempt to remain relaxed amid this unending Republican assault on the country, I’m more tense than one of his piano strings.

My mischievous friend had just come across an article inUSA TODAYsomething that had to be witnessed to be believed, so he ensured I did exactly that.

It validated my concerns thatUSA TODAYhas nearly transformed into a parody of itself through its long-term effort to remain neutral, presenting both perspectives of a story or topic, even when one side is clearly deteriorating and descending into chaos.

Before using my plunger to clear their latest blockage, a brief comment on that newspaper: I used to really enjoy it. It wasn’t overly fancy, and when it first appeared in the early 1980s, it was a vibrant alternative to the formal national newspapers likeThe New York Times.

We used to refer to it as “reader friendly” in the journalism field. If you placed a copy ofUSA TODAY and The New York Times beside each other, the first one welcomed you in, while the second one pushed you back.

Regrettably, both newspapers have strayed from their path during the most perilous period in America since the Civil War. Rather than addressing the Republicans’ relentless assault on our democracy with the seriousness it requires, these publications have searched for a similar issue on the opposite side, which does not actually exist.

On Monday morning, USA TODAYcontinued its downward spiral, when it published a column from one of its commentators, Nicole Russell, who wanted the newspaper’s audience to understand that she felt offended by being labeled a bigot, even though she openly and stubbornly backs one.

Here’s the column, with the verbose statement: “I CAN BE DISAPPOINTED BY TRUMP WITHOUT REGRETTING MY VOTE FOR HIM”

Here’s the subhead: Supporting President Donald Trump does not label us as racists or bigots. His flawed decisions and errors are solely his responsibility.

You could tell where this was heading…

I had to read it multiple times to determine if it was satire, but eventually concluded that, after finishing this unstructured rejection of propriety, it might have captured a Trump supporter more accurately than anything I’ve encountered.

It was definitely a better effort than any previous work I had done on this sensitive topic, and regular readers are aware that I have consistently addressed it.

I have clearly stated that proud MAGAs like Russell support Trump due to racism, not despite it.

It appears quite straightforward that if you back a bigot, you become one yourself, and there’s nothing more despicable than that.

In my opinion, racism shouldn’t be seen as a minor issue, as it is the central problem.

I’m done with individuals like Russell, who have taken it upon themselves to reduce pollutants in our lives, merely to feel better while promoting their distorted views.

And who are individuals like Russell? Well, when she began one of her death sentences in this manner: “As a believer and traditionalist…She revealed the entire dangerous game.

Since, as we all painfully recognize by now, “Christian conservatives” are genuine examples of morality in 2026 America — unfortunate individuals who have grown tired of the bothersome facts found in those foolish history books that should simply be prohibited for constantly reminding us about trivial matters like our terrible experience with slavery, and numerous violations of human rights.

In their elite Christian lifestyle, there’s only one book that truly counts, you understand — the one about the brown, progressive man who fought against social inequality, and believed people should be fed, dressed, and treated fairly. He also didn’t appear to be a big supporter of those who constantly sin and refuse to apologize for their actions.

However, they prefer to ignore that final part, allowing them to remain content and at ease in the false, soft lives they have created for themselves.

These individuals are simply too overwhelming to handle.

Russell justified her racism by stating, “she has come to terms with the reality that democracy is not perfect and that politicians have their flaws.”

Not returning a call from a citizen is a mistake, while portraying Black men and women as apes is disgusting and must never be accepted from anyone, especially the President of the United States.

It is a critical issue and should certainly result in termination.

By the time she finished painting the orange bigot, Russell had reached this unique position:

“Improving America …”

She is informing us that there is nothing he could do that would weaken her protection of a despicable individual who claimed he could shoot someone like her in the middle of the street, and still not lose her backing.

He understands her more deeply than she does herself.

She is an immovable force, and will protect whatever arises tomorrow regardless of what occurs today.

You know, perhaps rather than criticizing Russell for her support of a repulsive bigot, I should have saved everyone a lot of time by speaking to her using wholesome, conservative Christian language that she is familiar with and approves of:

“Quiet, piggy.”

D. Earl Stephens wroteToxic Stories: A Sarcastic Compilation of Donald J. Trump’s Highly Significant Correspondenceand concluded a 30-year career in journalism as the Managing Editor of Stars and Stripes. You can view all his writingshere.

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