Remember the November of 2016? The world saw a tectonic shift. In the United States of America, a man who had been outcast as a fringe element by mainstream media had suddenly become the President. Effectively, Trump became the world’s most powerful man — all from being a radical conservative who American pollsters, mainstream media and Democrats’ liberal ecosystem had declared a non-starter as President. Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton? Conventional wisdom suggested Clinton — endorsed by Barack Obama would seamlessly make it to the Oval Office. Instead, she suffered a defeat that turned her into an irrelevant politician.
Four eventful years of Donald Trump’s presidency passed. Life for liberals was nightmarish. Media sympathetic to Democrats and liberals — which, by the way, makes up a major portion of American media — became a cult where rants against Trump became the new normal. Then came November 2020. Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump refused to concede defeat. His obstinacy to yield led to the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, for which the 45th President faces investigations. The charge against him? That Trump planned an ‘insurrection’ to ensure his continuation as President.
That was the last straw. Ever since, the narrative of Trump that has reigned supreme in the United States is that of a maniac who behaved like an annoyed child when he did not get what he wanted — in his case, the presidency. Trump — his opponents and many from within the Republican Party argued — was a lost cause. A once popular leader who had simply lost his mind and attempted an assault on the seat of American democracy. For many, Trump seemed like a thing of the past—a man whose political career could never be salvaged.
Such commentators now have egg on their face. Donald Trump, as it turns out, is still the tallest Republican leader in the United States, and by far among the most influential of politicians in the country. Call it a cult, a fan base, a congregation of sycophants — the fact is, Donald Trump has a mass appeal that stretches even outside the borders of the United States of America. In India too, the man has a crazy fan following.
Trump’s hold on American politics, more so his grip on the Republican party, never really lessened. What did happen though is that his detractors got more vocal and were readily turned into heroes by liberal media for standing up to a ‘despot’ and calling him out. Now, Trump’s detractors from within the Republican party are falling like pawns on a chessboard.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Trump’s staunchest Republican opponent in Congress, lost her primary race on Tuesday in a landslide to Harriet Hageman — who was endorsed by the former President. GOP voters are turning out in record numbers to make Trump-backed candidates win the primaries. If the Republicans do manage to take control of Congress this November, it goes without saying that Donald Trump will assume centre stage in the GOP once again. Already, his grip on the party is strengthening with each candidate from his camp that wins the primary. Interestingly, many of the losing candidates pleaded for Trump’s endorsement too. That tells you how important the man’s stamp of approval on potential Republican Congressmen and Senators has become.
Liz Cheney’s humiliating defeat in the GOP primary marked the fourth and final loss for a House Republican who voted to impeach Trump last year. Out of the 10 Republicans who cast their votes in favour of impeaching Trump, eight are not going to enter the Congress again. Only two such Republicans have slim chances of making it back to the Capitol. Meanwhile, according to a new Morning Consult/Politico survey conducted after the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, 58% of Republican voters said they would support Trump if the 2024 Republican presidential primary were today, the highest on record since his 2020 loss.
Support for Ron DeSantis — who by many is viewed as the next Republican presidential candidate, has slumped to 16% among the party’s supporters. It is, therefore, no surprise that once a Trump-hawk, DeSantis is now rushing to the former President’s support, sympathising with him and voicing concerns against Biden’s supposed political witch hunt of Republicans. Here’s some more data that points to Trump’s escalating popularity in the United States: A record-high 71% of GOP voters say that Trump should run for President in 2024. The Republicans would effectively be giving up a shot at the presidency by not fielding Trump for 2024.
Trump seems to know this. The FBI raid on his residence in Florida did something spectacular — it turned Trump into a victim of the state’s vindictiveness. Suddenly, a man accused of inciting an insurrection was able to convince swathes of Republicans across the country that the Democrats were doing something never done before — attacking political opponents using federal agencies. Consequently, roughly 3 in 5 GOP voters now say they would vote for Trump in 2024.
Separately, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, half of US Republicans say federal law enforcement officials behaved irresponsibly in raiding the former President’s residence. The poll suggests Republican voters could be largely siding with Trump despite the Republican Party’s long-standing support for law enforcement.
The continuous victories of Trump-backed Republicans in the primaries coupled with the after-effects of the FBI raid at the former President’s residence have revitalised Trump’s political fortunes. Contributions to Trump’s political action committee posted stunning $1 million figures on at least two days after the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago. Even now, Trump is hauling in more donations than ever, showing how the FBI’s raid and the US Justice Department’s investigations against the 45th President could play a big role in making him the 47th President of the country in 2024.
Trump was written off as a politician. In a way, 2016 is repeating itself all over again. The popular narrative was that of Trump never becoming President. Pollsters failed to grab the massive anti-Democrat undercurrent. They also dismissed Trump as a potential winner not due to statistics, but because of their inherent biases against the man. Now that there are explicit signs of support for Trump rising, the 2024 presidential race could very well see him winning the White House, because if the current trends hold, the Republican party would be foolish to not have him as their next presidential nominee.
Effectively, Trump continues to be the strongest Republican in the United States today. Had he been ignored, Trump would have perhaps announced retirement from politics. Instead, he was painted as the enemy of American democracy; a despot seeking only power; a criminal who stole state secrets. Trump was given the very thing he flourishes on — attention.
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