The 1975’s “Love It If We Made It” was released in 2018 and gained traction for its criticism of the political climate between 2016 and 2018. Matthew Healy, the lead singer and writer for The 1975, emphasized his anger in the song. Raw emotion can be heard in every lyric on the recording and live.
Healy said he never wanted to write a protest song or even have to perform it past 2022. In 2024, the song still reflects the U.S.’s political climate in the line, “modernity has failed us.”
During the summer, the U.S. got a taste of what President-elect Donald Trump’s next presidency will look like. With two assassination attempts and the probable stop of a third, there is bound to be more to follow, especially when his reaction to the first attempt was, “fight, fight, fight.”
There would have been violence with either result of the presidential election, assuming Trump would’ve initiated another insurrection like Jan. 6. His election is going to cause more political violence and harassment than if Vice President Kamala Harris took the Oval Office, both toward Trump and toward his non-supporters.
Even before the election, voting locations had to secure themselves with “poll watchers” and take extra precautions before results started to roll in. This had set a tone, and although it is important to keep voting locations safe for everyone, the idea that it wasn’t going to be a safe place without extra police in place is a bad omen for what is to come.
Some U.S. citizens are going as far as to say the next presidency will result in a “civil war,” according to The New Yorker. Although an exaggeration, there will be an increased divide in the nation with Trump at the steering wheel, driving his diehard fans as radical as possible, and in turn, driving the opposition even further.
To add to that division, celebrities and public figures, like Healy, went out of their way to actively endorse other candidates for the election. With such big names speaking out against the next president citing the hatefulness that will ensue as a result, it will push supporters even further or even closer to a level of understanding between political parties.
There will be more violent attempts to eliminate Trump over the four years he will be president, and even with bolstering Secret Service security, this does not completely disarm an attempt, even if it is futile.
Although it is unlikely someone will be able to get as close as they did in Pennsylvania, this conversation has already been sparked, and ultimately, people are keeping the idea in the back of their heads.
As for those who are not adorning themselves with a MAGA hat, hate speech and harassment of those in minority communities will go unnoticed and unpunished with Trump at the top.
Trump, standing figurehead for the U.S., is already setting a bad example after calling Black Lives Matter protestors “terrorists” and “thugs,” outright saying he has been against gay marriage and telling women they deserve punishment for abortion. His close followers believe they are protected under his leadership when it comes to putting down certain communities.
Threats are already happening on social media, with the mortifying trending phrase “your body, my choice” becoming much too common on platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok.
Without even being in the office, the signs of violence and hatred under Trump are already present online. It is only a matter of time before they physically manifest into something even scarier. With his words, character and his stance on the legality of firearms in the U.S., the violence will not slow and the country will ultimately grow farther from a solution to it.
Although the band is currently on an indefinite hiatus, Healy’s wish of not needing to perform “Love It If We Made It” will once again fall out of reach for another four years. Fans might be excited to hear the popular song again, it’s chilling to think the message still rings true.
Abby Jenkins is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Abby know by tweeting her @abbyjenks18 or emailing her at aj205621@ohio.edu.
