From Leftward Lurch to Rightward Reckoning: How Obama and Biden Sparked the Trump Comeback—And Why America Now Teeters on Civil War

The last 15 years of American political life have been a volatile tug-of-war, where each administration has pulled the nation further from the center. The Obama and Biden presidencies ushered in a wave of progressive transformation, while Donald Trump’s rise marked a ferocious counterattack from millions who felt betrayed by government, culture, and media.

But this back-and-forth hasn’t just reshaped politics—it has torn at the fabric of national unity. Now, as the country grapples with profound ideological division, experts and everyday citizens alike are asking:
Are we on the verge of civil war?

OBAMA & BIDEN: A HARD LEFT TURN

What began as moderate-sounding “hope and change” during Barack Obama’s campaign quickly turned into:

• Aggressive government expansion (Obamacare, Dodd-Frank)

• Federal agency politicization (IRS targeting conservatives)

• Cultural revolution (emphasis on race, gender, and identity over unity)

Joe Biden took the torch and ran further:

• Massive federal spending leading to crippling inflation

• Open border chaos

• DEI and gender ideologies enforced nationwide

• Weaponized federal bureaucracy, leading many to feel like political dissent is punished

To many Americans—especially in working-class, faith-based, rural, and middle-income communities—this wasn’t progress. It was ideological colonization.

TRUMP: THE RIGHTWARD BACKLASH

Trump’s election was a rejection of Obama. His re-election in 2024 was a rejection of Biden—and of progressive overreach altogether.

He promised to:

• Drain the swamp

• Secure the border

• End the DEI machine

• Restore American greatness—not remake it

Trump’s America First doctrine was not just policy—it was defiance. Defiance against what millions saw as a tyrannical progressive elite that ignored the will of the people.

PUBLIC SENTIMENT: THE NATION IS DIVIDED—AND ANGRY

WHERE WE STAND: PRE-CIVIL WAR CONDITIONS?

Barbara Walter, political scientist at UCSD, warns that the U.S. now meets the criteria of a nation at risk of civil conflict:

“You need a government that is neither fully democratic nor fully authoritarian. You need factions organized around identity. And you need one side believing violence is acceptable.”
— How Civil Wars Start (2022)

These conditions are now present:

• Anocracy: Trust in elections and institutions is fractured.

• Identity-Driven Politics: Race, gender, and religion now drive party loyalty more than policy.

• Growing Acceptance of Violence: From riots to insurrections, more Americans see force as a legitimate political tool.

This isn’t a North vs. South scenario. It’s fragmentation at every level—rural vs. urban, federal vs. state, parent vs. school, patriot vs. bureaucrat.

CONCLUSION: THE POINT OF NO RETURN?

America is at an inflection point. The left pushed too hard. The right has pushed back. Institutions are being destroyed. Laws are weaponized. Culture is fractured.

This may be the final shot across the bow before full-scale internal collapse—or the last opportunity to restore balance before it’s too late.

What happens next will be determined not just in elections, but in how willing Americans are to remember what unites them before the divisions destroy them.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” — Abraham Lincoln
The question now is: Will America listen before it’s too late?

References

Gallup. (2023). Party Images and Ideology. Gallup, Inc.

NBC News. (2024). Meet the Press Poll: Majority of Americans Say U.S. Is on the Wrong Track. NBCUniversal Media.

Axios/Ipsos. (2023). Two Americas Index: Cultural Division and Wokeness. Ipsos Public Affairs.

Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll. (2023–2024). Monthly Political Tracker. Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University.

Walter, B. F. (2022). How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them. Crown Publishing Group.

UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. (2023). U.S. Political Stability and the Risk of Civil Conflict: Expert Assessments. University of California, San Diego.

The Heritage Foundation. (2020). The Obama-Biden Legacy: A Decade of Progressive Government Overreach. The Heritage Foundation Policy Brief Series.

The Australian. (2024). Elites’ Long March Scuttled by Hubris and Overreach. News Corp Australia.

Vanity Fair. (2024). Democrats Ignored Voters—And It Cost Them 2024. Condé Nast.

AP News. (2024). Biden Promised Stability. Now Trump Is Back. The Associated Press.