Honestly, part of the reason trump is relevant is because the left hates him. He is constantly one the news for seemingly no reason. One way to distract from a recession or bad policy is constantly reminding people of there hatred for the other side.

Also, there is absolutely manipulation on both sides. Look at news headlines about a transgender individual shooting at a Christian school that targeted the pastor. Notice if transgender or Christian is in the news title. If it was a white Christian male shooting a black school, would the identity of the shooter or school be important to put in the title.

We are a bit of a mess in the US, but it’s messy everywhere. Despite the mess, it’s honestly one of the better places to live if you don’t enrage yourself on the news cycle.