That seems to be the position of many Trump supporters, and even Trump himself, as we progress through this transitional period between the election and the inauguration - when rhetoric becomes reality.
It's not even a matter for debate that Trump stoked bigotry and provoked and condoned violence during his campaign. It's on the record that he promised, time and time again, to build a giant wall across the southern border that Mexico would pay for; that he wanted to loosen up the libel laws to stifle those who disagreed with him; that he wanted to overturn Roe vs. Wade; that he was against same-sex marriage; that he would repeal "Obamacare"; that he would "take the oil" in the Middle East; that more nations should have nuclear weapons; that he wants to bring back torture; on and on and on it goes.
Some Trump supporters are salivating like Pavlov's dogs waiting for all of this to take place, others however, take the position that it was just talk, and he really won't do any (or most) of those things. This, I guess, is supposed to make us feel better about Trump's election victory. Ha, that wacky Trump, you didn't really believe that he'd build a wall, ha ha, you don't really believe that he's a racist do you? Oh, that was just talk.
Yeah, it was that "just talk" that got him elected. He received a majority of the electoral votes by appealing to bigotry, hate, fear and divisiveness. So, I'm supposed to be relieved that he didn't mean it? That he's not a hateful bigot but he found it necessary to play the part of one to get elected?
In the first days following Election Day, there seemed to be good reason to think it was all a great big scam - Trump sounded reasonable, he was respectful and gracious to Secretary Clinton, and solicitous of President Obama's advice. He spoke about unity. That didn't last too long, the Twitter Monster emerged from his cave, insulting his detractors and whining about slights.
People are worried, concerned, yes fearful of what is to come in a Trump presidency. Some play down this fear, but I contend that worry, concern, and fear are rational, reasonable responses to the great unknown that is a Trump presidency. Possibly Trump will implement none of the things that he campaigned on, none of the positions that actually got him elected, but I believe that it naive and foolish to proceed as if everything that he said in the last 18 months was just words. Yes, they were just words, but words mean things.
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