I’ve been rereading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in honor of its one hundredth birthday. I just encountered the following passage, describing an outburst from the novel’s arrogantly rich antagonist, Tom Buchanan:

“’I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife. Well, if that’s the idea you can count me out. . .Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.’ Flushed with his impassioned gibberish he saw himself standing alone on the last barrier of civilization.”

Now imagine, if you will, Tom Buchanan as President of the United States, writing on X. . . . Oh wait, that’s what we’ve got.

Chip Morgan

Hopkinton