Enough with the “Both Sides” Cop-Out
We’ve all seen it: the moment you bring up Trump’s actions — whether it’s the reckless spending, the authoritarian rhetoric, the assaults on democratic norms, or the endless stream of lies — the obvious Trump voter in the room gets a glazed look and pulls out their favorite escape hatch: “Well, both sides are bad.”
Let’s be clear: this is not a meaningful argument. This is not a debate. This is a dodge — and frankly, it’s a lazy one.
When my neighbors do this (and they have, twice now recently), they are not engaging with the facts. They are waving the white flag without admitting it. They don’t want to talk about the indictments, the incompetence, the cruelty at the border, the looting of public funds, the fawning over dictators, or the gutting of institutions. So instead of defending their man on the merits — because they know they can’t — they retreat into the fog of false equivalence.
“Both sides,” they say. Both sides spend too much. Both sides lie. Both sides are corrupt. Sure — at the shallowest, most cynical level, you can always say “both sides.” But the question isn’t whether human beings are imperfect. The question is: who is actively setting fire to the foundations of this country right now?
Let’s break this down. You can hate some Democratic policies. You can think Biden is too old. You can complain about progressive excesses on college campuses. Fine. But none of that excuses or erases the fact that Trump has led a movement that is hostile to democracy itself. We are talking about a man who tried to overturn an election, openly muses about jailing political opponents, encourages political violence, and shows no respect for the basic rules of governance. That is not “both sides.” That is a uniquely dangerous threat.
When you say “both sides,” you are not sounding wise or balanced. You are shutting down accountability. You are refusing to grapple with the consequences of your own political support. You are, in effect, saying: “I don’t want to think too hard about this, so I’m going to blame everyone and call it a day.”
Well, I’m done letting that slide.
So here’s my message to the “both siders” in my life: If you’re not willing to defend Trump’s record, then don’t. If you’re uncomfortable with what your vote has supported, then maybe it’s time to reconsider. But don’t stand in front of me, shrug your shoulders, and act like you’re the only adult around because you’ve decided “everyone’s equally bad.” That’s not maturity. That’s avoidance. And I see right through it.
The time for polite nodding is over. If you can’t defend what’s happening, maybe it’s time to stop enabling it.
Julie Bolejack, MBA
