Imagine that you have hibernated for five years, say, and wake up this morning to read a tweet from the new president of the United States:
Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office “begging” for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2017
So here we are. The president of the country calls a senator "lightweight," "flunky," and perhaps a prostitute. In the same tweet he calls another women "crooked."
There's nothing I can say about Trump's narcissism and incompetence that I haven't said many times before. But the political norms he has stomped to smithereens cannot be repaired very easily. And they matter. Trump's behavior can best be described as a step toward a world where Queen Elizabeth II would, say, lift her dress up and moon those she doesn't care for.