What is Trumpism, will it disappear, how will it affect conservative politics, and what of the future of the man himself?
The conservative end of the political spectrum is populated by loose and disparate groups of occasionally like-minded individuals. There are fiscal conservatives that believe in small government and limited public spending. There are social conservatives that hold strong beliefs regarding the sanctity of the nuclear family and protecting it at all costs, but conservatism is set to be transformed by Trumpism, a new and uniting force.
The term Trumpism was not coined by Donald Trump or those on his team. It has been applied by political commentators and journalists to describe a movement that few can comprehend. The commentariat views Trump with disdain. His supporters are ‘low IQ voters’, rednecks, rust-belt hicks, QAnon conspiracy nutjobs, and of course ‘white supremacists’. Left-leaning pundits view the Trump presidency as an embarrassment, a stain on US democracy that is best forgotten. The bad news for the left-wing media puppets is that Trumpism is far from a spent force. In fact the movement is just beginning.
For all of its many, many faults, the US left is a tight club that protects its own. Andrew Cuomo’s recent scandals should have been aired years ago. The guy is a monster from the Harvey Wienstein school of respect for women, and his Covid-19 policies led directly to thousands of New York nursing home deaths. Of course, Weinstein was a darling of the left, close friend and major contributor to Hillary Clinton’s many failed political causes, confidant to Oprah Winfrey and other liberal icons. Barack Obama sent his daughter to intern at Miramax. So while Cuomo’s fall from grace is long overdue, his crimes have long been protected by the left-wing establishment. These people stick together. They cover each other’s malfeasance and rarely turn on their own.
The conservative movement has long lacked this coherence. Republicans tend to squabble among themselves. There are the Neo-cons led by figures such as John Bolton who live for constant war. Nothing excites them like the smell of napalm in the morning. There are the Mitt Romney types, born political losers who are incapable of throwing a punch. There are the John McCain traitorous types who appeared privileged to lose general elections. The Republican party has historically been lacking in tenacity, balls, and a take-no-prisoners mentality. A large part of Trump’s appeal was a fighting spirit. He would not be cowed by the precious, easily offended political correctness police. He would call out the lies and misdemeanors of his opponents, even while the deep state covered for their crimes. He was a brawler who would not back down from a fight. He tore up unfavorable trade deals and put America first. Working-class Americans responded. Trump galvanized the conservative base and this stung the establishment into action.
It was assumed that Trump would quickly fade into oblivion once he left office. He would be buried beneath a weight of lawsuits and criminal probes. His damaged ego would keep him out of the public eye. He would grow old and bitter surrounded only by his family and eat burgers and cheat at golf. The establishment could breathe easily. Never again would a dangerous outsider ever get within touching distance of the levers of power. Foreign aid money laundering scams would flourish. The Kerry, Pelosi, and Biden children would sign lucrative deals with the Ukrainian energy companies and maintain fleets of private jets. The US borders would be flung open. Illegal residents would be sent stimulus checks to ensure their unswerving left-wing loyalty. The party would return to normal.
Trump’s recent appearance at CPAC was watched by 31 million Americans. In comparison, the most hyped interview of the year starring professional victim, Meghan Markle was viewed by a mere 17 million. Trump’s speech was so dangerous that YouTube immediately scrubbed it from existence. Trumpism is not going anywhere. Trump is now the official GOP kingmaker. He may run again or simply call the shots from the side-lines. The weak and compromised Republicans such as Liz Cheney will be primaried and driven from the party. Those endorsed by Trump will enjoy favorable election outcomes. There is a chance that Trumpism will renew the GOP. Donations will be paid to Trump directly, rather than the RNC money-burning apparatus. The party will grow a spine and learn to fight, and win. The DC bipartisan status quo will not be allowed to return and choke democracy.
Trumpism is a populist movement in its infancy. The peasants have had enough of corrupt and compromised leadership and are now paying attention. They are reading 6000 paged legislative bills that hurl public funds at blatantly criminal causes across the globe while American businesses are closed and families are hungry. They will not be cheated again. Trump casts a long shadow over the entire political system. His popularity grows in exile. His next move is anticipated by all, particularly his opponents.
G G Novack – Political Pundit, Conspiracy Investigator