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ake a look at the headlines of the nation’s leading publications and you’ll see evidence of it every day. Whether it’s the state of the economy, or the strength of the national fabric, or whether the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election is a “witch hunt,” or a principled inquiry into a corrupt president, two distinct narratives have clearly emerged. It’s as if neighbors living on the same street, in the same town, and sharing the same sidewalk can’t agree if the sun is shining bright or the day will bring rain. Here are a few headlines, all from the last week, to illustrate the point.

On tariffs President Trump believes will level the United States’ huge trade deficit:

“Trump Steel Tariffs the Work of a Reckless Bully.”

“Trump’s Tariffs Lift Poor and Middle-Class Families.”

On Trump’s general decorum in office and whether he’s suited for the presidency:

“Dear Liberals: Trump Is Awful, But He’s Not the Apocalypse.”

“Trump and the Erosion of Democratic Norms in America.”

On Trump’s objections to the Mueller investigation and the means by which that probe has been conducted:

“Trump Uses Conspiracy Theories to Erode Trust.”

“Yes, FBI Was Investigating Trump Campaign When it Spied.”

That last one caught my eye especially. The issue of whether the FBI and the Department of Justice “spied” on the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election or, as former FBI director James Comey put it, merely used a “confidential human source,” is a prime example of this two-sided reality. Did the FBI send a “confidential human source” into the Trump campaign to investigate whether staffers were working with the Russians to defeat Hillary Clinton and upend the democratic process? Or did the FBI send a “spy” into the campaign to get unwitting campaign staffers to pass along information that had already been planted previously by other real spies, whether they be former British or current Russian, thus setting them up for prosecution? Depends which version of reality is to your liking.

Ironically, all this division has been good for the president. Here are another two headlines from this week.

“Trump Approval Rises to 44.4%.”

“Direction of Country at 5-Year High.”

Despite everything — the ongoing investigation into his campaign, the prosecution of his former staffers and aides, the near-constant media attacks on his character and policies — Trump’s approval rating is rising to heights not seen since the first three months of his presidency. Could it be that all those attacks and disparagements are actually helping the president? That seems to be the case, as evidenced by the enthusiastic response from thousands of people at a Trump rally in Nashville in late May. Each time the president raised an opposition meme — his immigration policy, his attempt to tear down Barack Obama’s legacy, his strengthening of the military, his tough-on-crime policy — the crowd roared their approval of his steadfastness in the face of that opposition. Seemingly, people feel good about the direction of the country precisely because Trump is standing up to people who represent the interests of the last administration. Another meme traveling around social media goes something like this: The more the Left tries to tear him down, the more Trump is built up.

Here’s one other headline that describes why so many attendees at the Nashville rally roared:

“We Ran Out of Words to Describe How Good the Job Numbers Are.”

That’s from the New York Times. The paper of record wrote a short piece on how splendid the economy is, how they just couldn’t find an adequate supply of synonyms for “good” to describe its performance. The economy is adding thousands of new jobs, unemployment is at an 18-year low, and wages are rising. Adds the Times: “The jobless rate for African-Americans fell to 5.9 percent, the lowest on record, which we would count as ‘great.’ ”

And maybe that’s why these last two headlines make perfect sense.

“Republicans Poised to Gain Senate Seats in 2018.”

“Democrats’ 2018 Advantage Is Nearly Gone.” (Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 713)