The President’s inaugural address caused a stir both in the United States and around the world. It targeted illegal immigrants, the so-called radical and corrupt establishment, and the left-liberal values of the United States cherished but considered socially corrosive in his eyes. The speech was a declaration of war on the country’s liberal values. By declaring an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, he was setting the stage for a ‘merit-based’ society. In a country grappling with grotesque income inequality and social discrimination, this move seemed like lighting a fuse to societal unrest. The constant invocation of God in his speech suggested a newfound wisdom, as if he were a new messiah trying to restore the lost glory of the United States with the MAGA slogan. However, this rhetoric, filled with hubris and populism, lacks the substance of liberal democratic values.