Whereas hate is defined as extreme negative feelings for others because of some aspect of their identity (Perry, 2001; Waltman & Haas, 2011), hate speech is discourse devoted to the vilification of the other's identity (Waltman, 2015; Waltman & Mattheis, 2017). It is an attempt to vandalize the other's identity to such an extent that the very legitimacy and humanity of the other is called into question. The combination of "alternative facts," the rejection of fact-based truth claims, and the political campaigns that intentionally divided Americans into tribes have all contributed to making U.S. political discourse increasingly susceptible to mainstreaming hate. Hate speech that was once relegated to dark corners of the Internet and viewed as the discourse of hate groups is now appearing in the everyday discourse of our politicians. In this essay, Michael Waltman outlines several things that could be contributing to this normalizing of hate and hate speech. And although hate has certainly always characterized U.S. history. He argues that the normalcy of hate discourse represents a new era that poses unique challenges to scholars and educators who wish to talk with their students about hatred in American life. Ultimately, he suggests that teachers and scholars of communication studies have a responsibility and opportunity to respond to this increasingly normal, virulent trend that infects our universities and society.