For many Americans, Donald Trump's second inauguration has a slight air of the end of the world as we know it. In 2016, we could say that we didn't really know who this man was, or even that he was partly right on certain points – like the “endless wars” he wanted the American army to end, as in Syria. But in 2025, we know that he is a liar, a thief, and what's more, a ruthless being. And we have witnessed his rapprochement with some of the scariest dictators on the planet.
It would be tempting to view Trump as an anomaly, a temporary setback in the great march of history. Maybe he will. Yet – although it has its own characteristics, such as brutality – its conception of republicanism does not come from nowhere. It can easily be found in the long-term efforts made by conservatives am
