After listening to the lies in President Trump’s March 4 address to Congress, I am struck once again by how this administration is institutionalizing cruelty and hatred toward others through speech and action. I continue to be horrified by the unconstitutional dismantling of the federal government and the normalization of falsehoods, scapegoating, selfishness and abusive treatment of those who are not in the inner circle of the wealthy elite.

The cruelty from Trump and Musk comes in many forms. Many Mainers will lose health care as Trump and Musk eliminate Medicaid funding. Other Mainers are losing their federal jobs; jobs that once were stable with decent wages and benefits. Maine seniors constitute 25% of our population and as budgets for Social Security and Medicare are cut, the income and health care for elders is threatened.

Immigrants who contribute to the economy and have not been convicted of crimes are being shackled and deported, an abominable practice. Internationally, the loss of USAID is predicted to create health chaos around the world and many people will die from preventable diseases. The closure of USAID degrades worldwide respect for the United States. The childish bullying of Ukrainian President Zelensky on Friday, Feb. 28, by Trump and Vance further diminished the reputation of the United States with our European allies.

In addition, with Trump’s silencing of agencies such as the CDC and NOAA, Mainers and all Americans will no longer receive reliable and free information concerning disease outbreaks and weather alerts. Future pandemics and climate disasters will wreak havoc on our safety and livelihoods. While fires rage in the Carolinas, FEMA is on the chopping block. Victims of disasters will see little to no relief for loss of homes or businesses from extreme weather. This is all institutionalized cruelty on American citizens.

Related to the removal of public information is the installation of a state propaganda machine that extols the actions of the president and his cost-cutting billionaire. When the legacy mainstream media speaks out about the abuse of power, they are punished by lawsuits. Truth telling has been replaced by lies and criminality, while Musk receives billions in government contracts and Trump sells cryptocurrency to the highest bidder. Real estate salesman Trump is ready to turn the Gaza Strip into a luxury resort for the wealthy.

Where Trump sees a deal, I see cruel heartlessness. The support for Israel’s war on Palestinians from the United States is not only illegal, but is also a horrific example of the normalization of cruelty. As a Jewish Mainer, I know that it is not antisemitic to be anti-Zionist or to speak out against genocide. In fact, to recognize the war crimes and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is the essence of being compassionate and caring for others.

Of course, it makes sense that a narcissistic, power-hungry leader who has a history of cruelty toward others would normalize and then institutionalize the practice of lying and promoting hatred of others, those who are different and seen as less than. Women, immigrants, senior citizens, religious minorities, people of color and LGBTQ members of our communities have been attacked by Trump and his minions. Musk’s Nazi salute after the inauguration is merely one demonstration of the social acceptance of hatred toward others.

It saddens me that some Mainers have fallen prey to the lies and selfish blaming of minorities. Even Sen. Collins followed the lead of the president in promoting cruelty toward those who are already vulnerable and voted to ban transgender athletes from public school sports. Trans athletes are a very small percentage of the population, and they have the right to be themselves with bodily autonomy. Perhaps when we can treat all people with empathy can we mend the culture war and end the acceptance of cruelty.