By BestintheRealm
Living through the Trump presidency has been a mental endurance test. Every day feels like a new episode of a reality show that should have been canceled seasons ago, yet somehow, it just keeps getting renewed.
For a while, I thought I had developed a coping mechanism. A system. A process. It goes like this:
Step 1: Hear Something Insane
It always starts the same way. A headline, a tweet, a conversation with someone shaking their head in disbelief.
“Did you hear Trump issued an executive order to increase logging in national forests, bypassing environmental protections?” “Apparently, he’s trying to use the ‘God Squad’ to override endangered species protections for logging projects.” “I just saw a report that thousands of campsites in California’s national forests might close this summer due to a federal spending freeze.”
Every time, my brain’s first reaction is the same: There’s no way that’s real.
Step 2: Refuse to Believe It
This is the blissful moment of denial. I sit there, actively rejecting the possibility. Surely, this is satire. A misquote. Someone twisting words for clicks.
The world may be chaotic, but there has to be some baseline of reality. Right? Right?
Step 3: Google It
I don’t know why I do this to myself. Maybe I want to prove to myself that it isn’t real, that people are exaggerating.
So, like an idiot, I open a search tab. And within seconds, I find out it’s true.
There are always articles. Or direct quotes. Or, even worse, official documents showing that it’s actually happening.
Step 4: Become Depressed
At this point, it settles in. That sinking, inevitable feeling of “Oh my god, this is real life.”
I sit there, staring at the screen, trying to comprehend that the President of the United States has ordered increased logging in national forests, potentially endangering wildlife and escalating wildfire risks.
And then, just as I start to recover, another headline drops, and the cycle starts all over again.
Rinse and Repeat
For years, this has been my process. Hear. Deny. Google. Suffer. A never-ending loop of absurdity that leaves me questioning reality itself.
And yet, the scariest part? It becomes normal. I adapt to waking up every day and bracing for whatever fresh nonsense is waiting for me.
We joke about it now, but the truth is, watching the leader of the free world turn governance into a series of controversial decisions isn’t just frustrating—it’s mentally exhausting.
So, if you also live through the daily cycle of disbelief, fact-checking, and existential dread, just know: You aren’t alone.
Note: This article reflects the author’s personal experiences and opinions.
