For almost a decade, former US President Donald Trump has been in the spotlight of American politics. During this time, he managed to defy all applicable political conventions. Under the umbrella of his signature red “MAGA” (Make America Great Again) baseball cap, he unites traditional Republicans, evangelical conservatives and members of the working class.
The controversy surrounding Trump, and even his conviction, could not stop the 78-year-old from leaving his mark – his populist version of conservatism – on the entire Republican Party.
Now the country faces the question of whether Trump, by refreshing his image, will be able to defeat Democratic candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House. In this new incarnation, Trump has further polarized the country by ramping up his anti-immigration rhetoric, surviving two trials murders and being accused of fascism by former senior officials in his administration.
The secret to Trump's political longevity is his ability to mobilize the dormant authoritarian base in the Republican Partysays Matthew MacWilliams, a political scientist and strategist at the Foundation International Communications Hub, which operates on thing promoting democracy.
This base managed to stage a “hostile takeover” of the party, eliminating dissidents in important congressional primaries and the party apparatus, and transforming the traditional Republican Party into the party of Trump. – If you oppose him, you will be removed, eliminated – says the expert, describing the way in which internal opponents of Trump's party are dealt with.
Real estate tycoon, beauty pageant king, president
In the 1980s, Donald Trump devoted himself to building a real estate empire. In the 1990s, he fought bankruptcy and won the title of host (Miss Universe) of beauty pageants. At the turn of the millennium, he threw himself into his media career. He hosted his own radio show, and as host and co-producer of the reality show “The Apprentice”, he made the phrase “You're fired” his motto.
He then entered politics and ran as the Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election. As a politician, he presents himself as brash, belligerent, determined to win at all costs and fight the establishment. In this role, he managed to win voters in key swing states and win the race against Hillary Clinton. While he didn't win a majority of the vote, he did win a majority of voters, including in states that were previously considered Democratic strongholds.
Conservative successes and political controversies
From the conservatives' point of view, Trump managed to achieve several of the goals they had hoped for. He introduced tax cuts for companies, withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran and the Paris climate agreementand filled the US Supreme Court with judges with conservative views, which led to the abolition of the constitutional right to abortion in the United States.
Trump's ferocious election campaign against Democratic candidate Joe Biden has led to events that are, in many people's eyes, among the darkest days of American democracy. Following his defeat in the 2020 election, Trump spread false claims of alleged voter manipulation. His allegations were never proven, and numerous lawsuits found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
When Trump gathered his supporters in the capital, Washington, on January 6, 2021, they eventually stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the confirmation of Joe Biden's electoral victory. This led to Trump's next impeachment in January 2021, which de facto ended in his acquittal because The Congress did not obtain the required two-thirds majority of votes. Back in December 2019, he was charged with abuse of power and obstruction work Congress. Trump was also acquitted then.
After his term ended, Trump faced numerous legal proceedings. On May 30, 2024, he was the first president to be found guilty in criminal proceedings in a case of falsifying business documents regarding the transfer of money for the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels. However, the announcement of the verdict was postponed until after the 2024 elections.
At the federal level, Trump faces charges related to his role in the storming of the Capitol, but it is not yet clear whether he will go to trial. He also faces additional charges of conspiring to falsify Georgia election results and improperly handling secret documents. These cases are also still pending.
The career of many other politicians would have ended long ago due to so many accusations and possible verdicts, but Trump managed to remove all his rivals in the fight for re-nomination as the presidential candidate from the Republican Party.
An electoral fight that is polarizing
Trump is running an election campaign based on a conservative program, emphasizing nationalist positions and negative rhetoric towards migration.
He strongly opposes immigration and repeatedly promises to carry out mass deportations after winning the elections. In his statements about migration and immigration, he uses language that is reminiscent of the times of fascism. He attributes some immigrants to “bad genes” and said at a campaign rally in New Hampshire in December 2023 that they “poison the blood of our country.” This phrase brings to mind Adolf Hitler and Nazis in Germany.
“Trump is appealing to an audience that is uncomfortable with the pace of social change,” says Robert Rowland, a political communications expert at the University of Kansas. He adds: “It stokes their sense of anxiety and fear, and then offers a solution.”
Rowland, like MacWilliams, notes that Trump's language poses a challenge to many Republicans. – Traditional Republican audiences either adapt or, like the Cheneys [Dick i Liz]who are traditional Republicans in the sense of Ronald Reagan, will reject Trump because Trump rejects everything Reagan stood for, the expert explains.
On November 5, voters will go to the polls to choose Trump or Harris to lead the country for the next four years. As both candidates emphasize, these are the most important presidential elections in the lives of their voters.
The article was originally published on the website of the German Editorial Office of DW. The article comes from a Polish website Detusche Welle