In 2016, when Donald Trump was first elected president, today’s 18-year-olds were only 10. So when footage was leaked showing Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women during the horrific October surprise of that year, they didn’t really understand what the tape meant. or know what to think about it, if they were even aware of it.

Today, new Generation Z voters are rediscovering the famous Access Hollywood cassette, with some hearing it in full for the first time. Young TikTokers are creating videos reacting with grim faces to audio from Trump tapegrimacing as he gets to the famous phrase “Grab them by the pussy”. The most popular has almost a million views.

"It’s actually so crazy," marvels a commentator on one of these videos. Another added: “Why isn’t this blowing up more?!” » Another: “I can’t even understand that. » Dozens and dozens of them say: “Boost”. You can tell that the legions of new viewers and commenters think the tape is important and want more people to see it, because it’s one of those Trump things that the rest of us have Most of them stopped talking.

It has become a truism among adults – especially older, embittered Democrats – who have lived through the Trump era: “lol, nothing matters.” No matter how depraved Trump’s words and actions, it seems nothing can stop his relentless and exhausting political momentum. This is the power of its countless scandals: many of them go so far beyond what we naively thought was the limit of acceptable behavior that it is easy to become numb. It’s easy to allow ourselves to forget Donald Trump’s multitude of sins.

However, seeing Gen Z absorb this particular Trump scandal again for the first time is a reminder that Trump’s misdeeds, particularly his decades of brazen and unapologetic sexual misconduct, can and should still shock. It’s worth remembering the details before entering the voting booth in 2024, in an election that will almost certainly see millions vote for a known sexual abuser, and which could well end with him returning to the White House .

Let’s not forget that Donald Trump bragged to a hot microphone about sexually assaulting women, boasting, “And when you’re a star, they let you do it.” You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.

Let’s not forget that Trump was found civilly liable last year for the sexual assault of journalist E. Jean Carroll, with the jury finding that a preponderance of evidence shows he forced himself on her in a manner violent and non-consensual.

Let’s not forget that Trump has been accused of sexual assault by at least 21 other women.

Let’s not forget that one of Trump’s accusers was his ex-wife Ivana, who declared under oath that he had raped her in a violent and vindictive manner. (She later said she didn’t want her comments to be taken “in a literal or criminal sense.”)

Let’s not forget that Donald Trump appointed to the Supreme Court a judge accused of sexual assault by several women.

Let us not forget that Donald Trump chose this judge and two others to serve on the Court for the express purpose of demolish a woman’s right to reproductive freedom. Let’s not forget that its Supreme Court did what it was designed to do and removed legal protections for abortion.

Let us not forget that after the Court demolished this right, Trump bragged that their decision “was only made possible because I kept everything as promised, including the nomination and confirmation to the United States Supreme Court of three strong and well-respected constitutional scholars.” It was a great honor to do so!

This is just a glimpse of what Trump has done to women. There is much more to remember.

One of the values ​​of a new generation of political actors coming of age is that they can help the rest of us see old atrocities clearly and cleanly again. The moral clarity of youth can be powerful; when the country is about to re-elect a sex offender, that becomes invaluable.

Maybe lol, nothing matters. But let’s at least not forget anything.