Adam Serwer publishes 'The Cruelty Is the Point' essay in The Atlantic

Staff writer Adam Serwer publishes a defining essay in The Atlantic examining Trump's political movement and the function of cruelty in binding his supporters together. The essay, triggered by Trump's mocking of Christine Blasey Ford's testimony and the crowd's gleeful reaction, argues that 'the cruelty is the point'--that Trump supporters find community in 'rejoicing in the suffering of those they hate and fear.' Serwer connects the crowd's laughter to historical images of cruelty, including lynching photographs where attendees smiled at the camera. The essay becomes a widely cited framework for understanding Trump-era politics and later forms the basis for a book of essays exploring the same theme.

"The cruelty is the point" — Essay title and thesis summarizing why Trump supporters embrace cruelty