Donald Trump is addicted to violence. It is the principal force that shapes his language, politics, and policies. He revels in a public discourse that threatens, humiliates, bullies, and inflicts violence. He has used language as a weapon to humiliate women, a reporter with a disability, Pope Francis, and any political opponent that criticises him. He has publicly humiliated and waged symbolic violence on members of this own cabinet such as Jeff Sessions, the current Attorney General, not to mention the insults and lies he perpetrated against former FBI head, James Comey, after firing him.1 He has humiliated world leaders with a discourse that in its infantilism uses language to insult and belittle. In the case, of North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un he has not only insulted him with the moniker, Rocket Man,” he has appeared before the United Nations and blithely threatened to address the nuclear standoff with North Korea by wiping out its 25 million inhabitants.2 He has emboldened and indirectly supported the violent actions of white supremacists, and during the presidential campaign encouraged right-wing thugs to attack dissenters, especially people of color. Continue reading