Trump is not the first leader to govern with vengeance, but he does grow tiresome, doesn't he?

In 2011, when Representative Gabby Giffords was shot at point-blank range, we were concerned for her very survival. More recently, the murder of Melissa Hortman brought calls for greater security. In neither case was there a cry for vengeance, and nobody confused justice with revenge.

And so, after Charlie Kirk's murderer had been apprehended, Donald Trump could have said—should have said— "We caught the guy who killed him—good work, law enforcement—let's move on." But when vengeance controls one's life, there is no moving on. Not ever.

His brand of hatred does not diminish with retaliation; it grows. We see it playing out in Gaza; we witnessed it in Nazi Germany 80 years ago and, to a lesser but significant degree, in Duterte's death squads in the Philippines. It defines what used to be the Republican party, but has sunk into a kind of club led by a vengeful leader and centered on hatred.

Under the guidance of the despotic Trump, MAGA thrives on an enemy list that is long and lengthening: Blacks, Hispanics, immigrants, Muslims, gays and lesbians, college professors, women, judges, climate experts, librarians, conservators, scientists, reporters, authors, and even comedians. (My apologies to any of the hated I left out—by now you know who you are without my help. And if you aren't on the list, you will be.) Resentment unites the club members, and the American flag, which represents everything they no longer subscribe to or believe in, protects them.

Confucius ( a foreigner, so be wary) once said that holding onto anger was like grasping a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at your enemy...while you suffer the burning—no wonder the MAGA club members are angry—their hands hurt. Of course, all they have to do is drop that coal, but that would mean an end to their membership, and apparently, it's worth more to be united in hatred of "the other" than to recognize how much we have in common. Two weeks ago, Erika Kirk said she forgave her husband's murderer; Donald Trump followed her comments by saying he forgives no one, then railed about vengeance. He lost a few club members that day, but the club is thriving anyway in that gold-plated clubhouse of theirs.

Netanyahu, Duterte, Trump—they will always have their adherents, but history always underscores their failures. Trump is not much of a reader, so the chances that he's ever read Shakespeare are exceedingly slim. But if he did, he'd know that vengeance doesn't play well or end well.

We all get angry, but we don't withdraw from the human race and dedicate our lives to getting even. That's Trump territory, that's the aggrieved MAGA club united by grievances. Resistance is not futile—but action and patience are necessary. Humanity and empathy, too. Respond with what Trump and his acolytes can't fathom until they drop the hot coal—or just throw the damn thing and go home.