Trump’s certainly not evil in the most destructive sense, since he’s not personally a sadistic murderer, nor is he competent enough to successfully impose his inhuman will in most situations. (His political victory was largely a matter of luck and of his shrewd instincts.)

But I addressed this in my article on the different kinds of evil. Trump’s inhumanity is more like nature’s, which means he’s amoral and indifferent, not so much actively immoral. Plus, his destructiveness of others is balanced by his narcissism, by his solipsistic preoccupation with benefiting himself. He’s a malignant narcissist, after all, not just a psychopath.

Still, his inaction and politicizing of the pandemic may end up costing thousands of American lives. That’s a kind of personal depravity, recklessness, and arrogance that shouldn’t be ignored just because it’s not as flashy as a serial killer’s wickedness.

When you say he’s a fitting farewell to the age, that’s what I’m trying to wrap my mind around: the symbolism of Trump. What is the deepest meaning of his “presidency”? I’m not sure I agree with the aim of trying to put the whole mess of Trump in the rear view. How can we learn about what’s happening if we’re too quick to forget about it? Anyway, the polarization in the US will make it impossible to forget about Trump even long after he’s gone, since Trumpism and the deplorable trolling of the liberals will live on in Trump’s base of supporters, in Fox News, and in the Republican Party.