The defining characteristic of this administration is cruelty. It was born with the image of a man of privilege wielding a chainsaw taking delight in the cruelty he would unleash. His mosh pit of followers roared in agreement, they too taking delight in the cruelty about to be projected onto their fellow citizens.

This administration has lived up to that dark promise and cast many into unemployment, stress, and anguish. In our most recent episode those in opposition were given a false choice of choosing one cruelty over another; access to food vs access to health care. Starvation vs medical bankruptcy. What kind of person would do such a thing? What kind of leadership is this?

The most recent decision by Democratic leaders to vacate opposition to the budget emphasizes how important leadership is. That decision may well cast millions of our fellow citizens into a future of despair. Democratic leadership has accepted this Hobson’s choice. This will not bode well. The rising push back against this administration of cruelty has come from the people themselves and our leaders have not lived up to the moment provided by their activism. It is important to remember that we choose our leaders. The choices they make informs the choices we make.

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Kevin Deeny

Author’s note: This piece was originally published in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 11/14/2025.