Even as Donald Trump assumes office today, it pays back to look at his journey to the top. Trump’s ascendancy is fraught with surprises, twists and turns, characterized by his uncompromising attitude to stand up for what he believes in. Nonetheless, his abrasive attitude has garnered him applause and criticism in equal measure, in a world sharply polarized by diverging political leanings.
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A Polarizing Character
Trump’s character as an infamous character dates back to the days before his venture into running for the Presidency. He’s mostly remembered for his bigger-than-life showcase as a real estate mogul and in the entertainment industry, in addition to his numerous business ventures. The less said about these business ventures, the better.
Trump has always set himself apart as a ‘disruptive’ individual. He is the kind of person who would care less about the rules of engagement. He has his way of doing things and he doesn’t back down until he gets what he wants.
Trump’s announcement that he would be running for the US Presidential race in 2016 left many bumfuzzled. The announcement came out of nowhere (although he had hinted at running for the Presidency in earlier instances).
The announcement was welcomed with a mixed bag of reactions from the public, politicians and bureaucrats alike. You see, Trump didn’t exactly fit the profile of the typical ‘Presidential Candidate’.
He was brutish in his speech. He seemed to mind less about the weight of his words, speaking up his mind first and maybe re-examining his words later.
His ‘scandalous’ stint in the entertainment scene was a point of concern. He made remarks that could be interpreted as racial and sexual derogatory. He, however, had one thing going for him. He was popular with the masses.
Many even in the Republican party didn’t anticipate him to win the party primaries as he didn’t quite fit the profile of the conservative candidate. Nonetheless, Trump managed to gain the Republican ticket, which saw him come face-to-face with the Democrat candidate, Hillary Clinton on the Presidential ballot.
Once again, the odds during the elections were against him. Clinton was tipped to continue with the legacy of the Democrats’ hold in power. Clinton won the majority vote but lost the electoral college vote to Trump.
Trump had done the seemingly impossible. He had beaten the incumbent ‘system’ and was arguably the most powerful man on earth.
The Presidency Years
Many expected that Trump’s unlikely win to be the US President would transform him to be more ‘statesmanlike’. Maybe he would be more ‘presidential’, especially since he was ascending to the Presidency after the tenure of Barrack Obama, in a Republican gusto not seen since the days of Ronald Reagan. Those were some pretty big shoes to fill.
Nonetheless, no one could have anticipated his actions as the President. His speeches still retained the fervour of campaign rallies. He became especially active on Twitter, which quickly became his go-to platform for voicing unfounded ramblings and unofficial decrees (it got hard to tell the difference between the two most times).
Trump disregarded processes and bureaucracies that disfavored his political ideology. All while taking advantage of the influence of his position and that of his conservative allies to fill crucial positions in government, a move that favoured the white conservative ruling class.
Much has been documented, for example, about the work done by Trump and his conservative allies to compromise the Judiciary by appointing conservative judges. FYI, there’s nothing wrong with appointing conservative judges, they too have the right to have a political bias. However, it can be argued that the pattern of the appointment of judges during Trump’s tenure was a disengenous attempt at compromising the independence of the judiciary.
In the American system, control over the federal courts is important in overseeing the passing and implementation of laws.
Read more about the impact of Trump’s federal judges appointees here.
Despite this, Trump maintained his influence and popularity within the country for much of his tenure, especially in his Republican backyard. However, his handling of key national issues such as racial discrimination, immigration and abortion saw continued alienation from the left, particularly from people of colour.
Many saw his inability to compromise; his die-hard commitment to his political ideology and his affiliation with unpopular conservative social figures as key tools in fostering continued national division and polarization on key political issues.
However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was his mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. His response to the Black Lives Matter protests proved to be unpopular with the non-white majority. As the November 2020 elections drew closer, all indications seemed to point to the removal of Trump from office.
Why Trump’s approach works (almost) every time
Here’s the thing about Trump. You either like him or you don’t. And he couldn’t care less.
For many, Trump is the definition of working going against the system. He is the definition of standing up to defend what you believe is right, even at the expense of standing up to the forces of the establishment.
We live in a world where income inequality continues to be a more pressing, ever-present reality. Many in the lower and middle classes feel disadvantaged, being forced to work harder for little in the way of economic advantages. Inflation continues to rise, the purchasing power of the currency continues to plummet yet income continues to stagnate and reduce even. The prices of basic goods and commodities have continually been on the rise and many struggle to afford access to basic needs such as housing and healthcare. Yet wealth continues to multiply among those in the upper class.
Income inequality is getting out of hand, so much so that economists have been contending with the notion of whether the middle class even exists anymore. Many people, even those with income and salaries that were once viewed as being decently affordable, are also struggling to make ends meet between paying for expensive mortgages and servicing their student loans.
Consequently, it becomes quite apparent to see why Trump’s proposals to overhaul the economic system and make it more favourable to American citizens have proven to be extremely popular. His ideology on the economy resonates with a huge chunk of the public, who feel disadvantaged by the current economic situational set-up.
For example, his stance on imposing tariffs on all imports to the US is an inviting prospect to many Americans. Many Americans credit the death of local American manufacturing to the influx of cheaper goods imported from global markets such as China. Since American consumers have a high spending power, their use and consumption of Chinese goods helps grow the Chinese economy, positioning it to continually threaten the American economy.
This protectionist policy adds quite nicely to Trump’s anti-China agenda. In his eyes, China is the biggest threat to American economic supremacy.
Nonetheless, I am left wondering why he’s been gaining support from America’s richest billionaires, the same people responsible for benefitting in trade and economic practices responsible for the widening income gap and moving production away from America.
Maybe China isn’t the only big problem. In Swahili, we have a proverb that says, ahem, Kikulacho ki nguoni mwako. That can be translated to mean, your biggest adversary is one who is closest to you. I rest my case.
Trump’s mass deportation ideology also plays to conservative America’s nationalistic stance, which views the presence of illegal immigration as a primary economic and security concern. Despite a reduction in crime rates and illegal immigrants in recent years within the US, prominent conservative figures would have you believe that illegal immigration continues to pose an existential threat to the country’s social-economic order.
In a nutshell, Trump’s political ideology is simple and built upon advancing nationalist and conservative agendas in American politics. Trump holds strong opinions that are widely shared by his conservative audience.
He believes in preserving the ideals of American society under a largely white, conservative agenda. He believes in reduced bureaucracy within the systems of governance, especially when they get in the way of implementing his policies. He believes in a nationalist approach, protecting the position of America as a supreme global power that isn’t taken advantage of by her allies. He believes in a transactional approach to domestic and international policy, even if it means teaming up with leaders who don’t embody the American ideals of democracy and liberty just because they can help fulfil the interests of the United States.
To be honest, I quite like Trump’s approach. He is not afraid to get into the meat of issues, however unappealing they may be to many. He is not afraid to defend what he holds dear, just because it may not sit well with everyone else. He is not afraid to be offensive, especially when it helps him to fulfil his political goals.
I realize that that is why a crucial majority of US voters decided to side with Trump. He embodies the American spirit of standing up for what you believe in. I believe that this approach can help get a lot more done, as opposed to the passivist approach witnessed during Biden’s administration. Biden and the Democrats constantly fall into the trap of trying to appease everyone across the political divide, as opposed to focusing on working on their policies. It is this indecisiveness that led to sway in favour of American voters towards Trump, even from people of colour who are normally inclined to vote for the Democrats.
Nonetheless, I hold my own against many of Trump’s proposed policies. His approach can be effective and quite beneficial if applied in the right manner, and only to an extent. The purpose of the democratic system is to create a system of checks and balances that prevent the accumulation of power around an individual. And I’m quite sure that Trump’s approach can be a danger to democracy.
Trump now holds huge influence over Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Executive. His campaign saw the floating of a proposal to issue executive orders over the civil service, granting Trump hire and fire abilities. This grants him a massive degree of control over the government’s technocrats allowing him to remove those who may disfavour the implementation of his policies. Essentially, Trump now has an unrequited degree of control over government and the democratic institutions and processes meant to keep his power in check.
As a person living in the developing world, especially in a country that is under constant threat of coming under a dictatorship, I can attest to the fact populist leaders make the best dictators. Perhaps I am taking it a little too far, but Trump’s dalliance with authoritative governance mechanisms might push America away from being the hallmark of democratic governance.
Trump has managed to create a cult of personality that has gained mass popularity; and like moths to a flickering light, many across the world (not just America, mark you) have bought into it.
Whether that was the right call remains to be seen.
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