While finishing my column this week, I watched Hakeem Jeffries at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) when suddenly, he stole my line: “Donald Trump is like an old boyfriend you broke up with, but he just won’t go away… Bro, we broke up with you for a reason.” OK, it wasn’t an exact match, but the resemblance was close enough to make me rethink my entire piece.

I realized I wasn’t the only one drawing this comparison of Trump as an old boyfriend who wouldn’t go away. But while the DNC was busy poking fun at the past, it also served as a stark contrast to the fear-driven messaging we saw just weeks earlier at the Republican National Convention (RNC). Where Democrats offered a vision of joy and unity, Republicans leaned into apocalyptic warnings.

Even before anyone set foot on the stage at the RNC, the preamble of the RNC program made it clear: scare tactics were front and center. With an agenda that included items like “migrant invasion,” “prevent World War Three,” “build a great iron dome missile defense over our entire country,” “end the weaponization of our government against the American people,” and “make our college campuses safe… again,” Republicans didn’t just want to win votes, they wanted to instill fear.

In contrast, the Democrats countered with a message of strength and refreshingly, joy. Republican pundits expressed surprise. “Joy? Toughness?” But apparently the remedy to their “doom and gloom” isn’t joy. I heard pundits clamoring for … policies! Ironic, because I distinctly remember Trump repeatedly dodging specifics on many policies when asked, whether it was his elusive health care plan “the likes of which had never been seen” (and never was), or his massive infrastructure plan that never materialized, or his vague promises on tax reform, immigration, and veterans’ care. He’d make sweeping claims but pivot away from the details every time, leaving those promises largely unfulfilled and people without the support they needed.

So, you’d think, a man who makes empty promises would take a hint. But here we are again. Trump, the man, the brand, is once again running for president. And you know what? In any other world — maybe one where the sky is blue, and facts are a thing — this would be a non-starter. But in 2024? There’s a not-insignificant chunk of the population saying, “Yeah, let’s do it again!” There are people out there who miss this. They miss the chaos, the drama, the constant feeling that you’re living in a season finale that never ends.

It’s like Stockholm Syndrome for political mayhem — as if the best way to move forward is to go back — back to the days when the news was less about policy and more about deciphering tweets at 3 a.m. The idea of a Trump 2.0 is like saying, “Hey, remember that time I burned down the house? What if I did it again, but this time with fireworks?”

Let’s not forget what we’re talking about. Donald Trump wasn’t just any president — he was a walking, talking, Twitter-feuding fever dream. Who else could draw a new hurricane path with a Sharpie, and insist that it was science? Who else could lose a presidential election and then, claim to have actually won it? That’s not politics. That’s “alternative facts.”

Of course, Trump doesn’t see it this way. And instead of triumphing over his opponents, he insults them on social media and has Hulk Hogan ready to body slam them. But let’s be clear: Trump isn’t interested in solutions and helping people.

And what about the people who are considering a vote for Trump — again? Look, I’m all for second chances. But this isn’t just risky. It’s downright reckless. We’re talking about the person with the nuclear codes, the one who’s supposed to represent all of us on the global stage. And we’ve already seen what happens when he invites his friends to the Capitol and treats it like his own personal reality show. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t end well.

I remember my kids thinking “Breaking News” was a permanent fixture on TV during the Trump administration. It was tough explaining that this constant stream of urgent updates was a new phenomenon of that era. Do we really want to go through all that again? Do we want to relive the daily chaos and nonstop drama that left us dizzy?

Or should we aim for something different, something better? As entertaining as the spectacle might have been, we must remember our country isn’t a TV show. And we deserve a leader who treats it as such.

Hakeem Jeffries was joking, but if Trump is like the ex-boyfriend who’s still trying to make a comeback, let’s belt out some Taylor Swift from the rooftops this November and let him know, “We Are Never Getting Back Together.”