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Captivating America: Civility War : 1A We tried to have a conversation about civility in politics and ... well, it got lit.

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Captivating America: Civility War

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Captivating America: Civility War

1A

Captivating America: Civility War

Captivating America: Civility War

Listen · 42:18
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/623941631/623958645" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Last week, White House adviser Stephen Miller was called a "fascist" when he visited a Mexican restaurant in Washington.

Protests and chants also erupted when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen visited another Mexican restaurant in the city.

And over the weekend, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a small restaurant in Lexington, Virginia.

These incidents have led to a debate about civility and public discourse.

But why now? Many were quick to point out that Miller, Nielsen and Sanders all promote the policies of their boss, President Trump, who hasn't always been civil in public statements. Representative Maxine Walters, D-Calif., argues that White House staffers have forfeited their right to civil treatment by choosing to align with President Trump.

Others see an alarming cultural trend: the decline of basic manners in America.

We tried to have a conversation about civility in politics and ... well, it got lit.