Dear Reader,

Since my last note, we ushered in a new year; four amazing contributors joined CAFE; we announced the new Doing Justice podcast; and my son got into college. Also, as a nation, we went through some things. There was an insurrection at the Capitol, a second impeachment of President Trump, and 70,000 more Americans succumbed to COVID.

A lot has happened in a short time, much of it terrible and tragic. The insurrection has shaken us, but its aftermath suggests a ray of hope about the future of Trump and maybe even Trumpism.

I have openly worried that even after Trump leaves office, we would not be rid of him or his toxicity. Even in defeat, there was reason to fear his strength, continued influence, and future daily intrusions into our consciousness. Despite Trump’s defeat, supplicants like Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz sought Trump’s mantle (and voting base) by persisting in the election lie. Despite the defeat, party stalwarts stood with Trump.