By Michael Kelman Portney

Pink Floyd’s The Wall, an epic exploration of alienation, authoritarianism, and self-imposed barriers, offers a powerful lens through which to examine Donald Trump’s 2024 victory and its implications for America’s fractured society. Just as The Wall explores how personal and societal pressures create emotional and ideological divides, Trump’s re-election highlights the “walls” that divide Americans along political, racial, economic, and social lines. His victory suggests that these walls are not only persisting but growing stronger, creating an era of intensified separation and disillusionment.

Here’s how key themes from The Wall map onto today’s America.

1. "Another Brick in the Wall": The Building Blocks of Hierarchy

In The Wall, each traumatic or isolating experience becomes a “brick” in the wall that the protagonist, Pink, builds around himself. These bricks represent all the disappointments, societal expectations, and injustices that isolate him from others. In American society, each policy, economic hardship, and instance of racial or social injustice becomes another “brick” that builds a hierarchical wall between people.

Trump’s 2024 victory symbolizes the way these walls are being fortified rather than dismantled. Policies that exacerbate economic inequality, favor corporate interests, or dismiss racial grievances add new layers to the divisions between citizens. Economic hardship, for instance, disproportionately affects certain groups, creating “bricks” that separate wealthy elites from working-class Americans. Each policy that ignores these divides—further empowering corporations or limiting social welfare—reinforces an environment where the wealthy have more influence and access, while others remain isolated and marginalized.

2. "Comfortably Numb": The Normalization of Alienation

One of the most haunting songs on the album, “Comfortably Numb,” describes a state of emotional disconnection and numbness, as if cutting off from reality is the only way to cope. In many ways, American society is reaching a similar state. People are becoming “comfortably numb” to inequality, division, and even authoritarian tendencies, as they grow accustomed to a status quo that’s disconnected from empathy and solidarity.

Trump’s re-election points to a normalization of division and exclusion in American life. People on all sides of the political spectrum are building echo chambers, furthering an us-versus-them mentality that makes it easy to become desensitized to the needs and perspectives of “the other side.” This collective numbness enables a political climate where extremism, economic disparity, and distrust become normalized—walls are built higher, and people become resigned to living within their silos.

3. "Run Like Hell": Fear as a Driver of Division

“Run Like Hell” embodies a state of fear and paranoia that pushes people toward self-preservation at the expense of unity. In today’s America, fear of the “other”—be it based on political, racial, or ideological differences—drives people further apart. Trump’s campaign rhetoric often stokes these fears, painting certain groups or policies as threats to traditional American life. This tactic effectively pushes people to “run like hell” toward isolation, leaving empathy and understanding by the wayside.

This fear-driven division solidifies hierarchies within society. Rather than fostering collective resilience, policies and rhetoric that exploit fears encourage people to cling to their own “sides,” viewing others with suspicion. It’s a cycle that builds walls around communities, deepening divides between urban and rural, rich and poor, native and immigrant.

4. "The Trial": The Erosion of Democratic Norms

The Wall climaxes with “The Trial,” a surreal scene where Pink is judged by his own demons, effectively alienated by the very structures meant to protect him. In Trump’s America, the erosion of democratic norms and institutional checks mirrors this moment of authoritarian judgment. Just as Pink is found guilty by a kangaroo court of his own making, America is witnessing a reshaping of its democratic institutions to favor loyalty, conformity, and power concentration over accountability and transparency.

Trump’s influence on America’s institutions—whether through judiciary appointments, executive orders, or rhetoric dismissing dissent—creates a system where loyalty to the “leader” can outweigh democratic checks and balances. This transformation of institutions into hierarchical systems governed by a select few builds walls between those in power and the public they’re supposed to serve. It’s a reflection of “The Trial,” where rules and norms are warped, creating a system that reinforces isolation rather than democracy.

5. “Hey You”: A Cry for Connection in a Divided Society

One of the most poignant songs on the album, “Hey You,” is a desperate call for connection across the walls that isolate people. It expresses a yearning to break down barriers and reach out for solidarity, even in a world that seems too divided to allow it. This sentiment resonates strongly in today’s political climate, where many Americans feel trapped behind walls of ideological division and isolation, even as they crave unity.

Trump’s victory underscores how difficult it has become to find that common ground. His rhetoric and policies often focus on division rather than connection, painting complex issues in binary terms that only reinforce hierarchies and walls. But “Hey You” reminds us of the potential for empathy and understanding even in the most divided times. There are Americans on both sides who want change and connection, even if the walls of hierarchy make it difficult to bridge these divides.

6. "Outside the Wall": The Long Path to Reconciliation

The final track, “Outside the Wall,” suggests a glimpse of hope—that the walls people build to protect themselves can eventually come down. For America, this means facing the hierarchies that divide and dehumanize. Trump’s 2024 victory may indeed mean that the country’s divisions will deepen and that these hierarchical “walls” will continue to grow. But “Outside the Wall” reminds us that reconciliation is possible. It suggests that eventually, America may reach a point of reckoning, where citizens come together to dismantle the systems and mindsets that reinforce division.

Achieving this, however, will require a willingness to confront the “bricks” that make up these walls—be they economic disparities, racial prejudices, political polarization, or institutional distrust. It will mean recognizing the ways in which hierarchy alienates people, while promoting empathy, inclusion, and systemic reform. Just as Pink confronts his wall at the end of the album, America may have to confront its own divides head-on before it can truly rebuild.

Conclusion: Trump’s Victory as a New Chapter in The Wall

Trump’s 2024 win is emblematic of a period in American history where walls of hierarchy, division, and isolation are growing stronger. Just as Pink Floyd’s The Wall captures the tragic consequences of building barriers, today’s America faces a future where these divisions risk further fragmentation of society. But The Wall also offers a glimmer of hope—that these walls can be confronted and eventually torn down.

In this analogy, Trump’s return may be the beginning of an even harder period, where these barriers seem insurmountable. But with awareness, solidarity, and a commitment to dismantling hierarchies, Americans can begin the long process of reconnecting “outside the wall.” As history has shown, periods of darkness often precede transformation, and perhaps America’s “wall” may one day come down, enabling a more unified and equitable society.