In the uneasy glow of the House chamber, Vance’s murmur felt like the loudest line of the night. This was the same man who once warned Trump could become “America’s Hitler,” now leaning in like a loyal lieutenant, speaking of debts to be collected. His recent jabs at Volodymyr Zelensky, his casual dismissal of Britain, his insistence that Biden’s words pulled the trigger in Pennsylvania — each remark added another edge to the phrase he chose. “Reckoning” stopped sounding like policy and started sounding personal.
As Trump basked in cheers and his critics lifted silent signs into the air, the room split into two Americas staring each other down. For some, the promise meant justice long denied. For others, it felt like a quiet notice that the instruments of government might be turned on them next. The speech ended. The cameras cut. The chill remained.
