Yes, I had a very clear agenda. I went so I could get out of my “very left bubble” and see the actual people that support Trump for myself, not just on a TV screen. The title of the piece is “I Went To a Trump Rally Pretending To Be a Supporter: Here’s What Happened”, the keyword there being ‘pretending.’

If I had gone to the rally with the intention to protest and be argumentative, my experience would have been much different. That was the whole point. I wanted to see a Trump rally firsthand without making any waves. That is the entire point of observation.

This is what can happen to a black person when they decide to protest at a Trump rally.

I cannot “detach” from racism. I cannot “detach” from misogyny. I cannot “detach” from the dangerous, violent, and repugnant rhetoric that Trump preaches and that Trump supporters condone.

You might be able to, but I can’t.