The 2024 election is shaping up to be a clash between two extremes: Trumpism and Wokism.

But while they dominate headlines and airwaves, there’s a critical false equivalency being drawn between the two. Wokism, for all its excesses, is fundamentally an overreaction to real, historical wrongs.

Trumpism, by contrast, is an overreaction to an overreaction—a backlash without a real grievance, inflamed by a man who thrives on division.

Wokism is rooted in a genuine struggle for equality and justice. While its most radical voices can be rigid and self-righteous, its origins lie in the ongoing fight to address systemic racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression. Yes, sometimes the movement overshoots the mark. The drive to right the wrongs of the past can lead to dogmatic positions and overzealous demands. Cancel culture is real.

But the underlying truth is hard to dispute: there are real wrongs that need to be corrected. Wokism, at its best, calls for society to live up to its own ideals of fairness and inclusion.

Trumpism, on the other hand, isn’t a response to oppression. It’s a reaction to the very idea of progress, a lashing out at the discomfort of change. It thrives on the perception that America is under siege—not by foreign powers or economic decline, but by cultural forces that challenge long-standing privileges.

Trumpism doesn’t seek to correct an injustice. Instead, it inflates grievances that don’t exist, weaponizing them into a rallying cry against an evolving world. It’s an overreaction to the overreach of political correctness, fueled by fear and stoked by a leader whose primary interest is self-promotion.

The problem is that the two are often framed as equivalent in media narratives, as if they represent equal and opposite reactions in the culture wars.

But that’s a dangerous simplification. Wokism, for all its flaws, has a foundation in the pursuit of justice. It may be imperfect, even maddening at times, but it’s rooted in the recognition that inequality and prejudice are real and need addressing. Trumpism, by contrast, is a retreat into grievance politics—a reactionary movement fueled by resentment and a nostalgia for an America that never truly existed.

Wokism can be abrasive, yes. But Trumpism thrives on misinformation, on demonizing opponents and undermining democratic norms. Where Wokism seeks to expand rights and redefine equality, Trumpism seeks to shore up power through exclusion and division. One aims to create a more inclusive society, even if imperfectly; the other exploits fear of that inclusion for political gain.

This election, then, isn’t just a fight between two extremes. It’s a choice between an overreaction to historical wrongs and an overreaction to progress itself. To equate the two is to miss the point.

We need to stop treating these movements as if they’re on the same moral plane. Wokism’s excesses can be reined in. Trumpism, by its very nature, thrives on destruction.

And if we’re not careful, it could burn down more than just the White House.