Trump is set to kick off his reelection campaign in Orlando, Florida. And in a video released this Monday marking the occasion, Trump rallied his supporters under an old and familiar banner: the fight against the status quo. “We’re taking on the failed political establishment and restoring government of, by and for the people,” he reportedly said in the video.
An insider relying on the ‘outsider’ label
So, yeah. Trump’s still relying on that card, and I share the opinion presented in this France 24 article. The president is ironically (and rather paradoxically) hoping that people keep considering him an outsider to Washington—even if he’s the president. A difficult sell if there ever was one, but the extent of what people are willing to believe has no boundaries. After all, in an age of deep political polarization across America, supporting one or another party and politician has become a mark of identity, and that’s not easy to let go—as France 24 points out.
Be that as it may, the president’s intention to present himself as an outsider is ironic, to say the least. After all, you cannot really fight the status quo when you’ve become that status quo yourself. Trump represents lobbyists and corporations, he follows defined political interests, and is even accused of pursuing efforts to profit his family from the presidency. He’s certainly not fought for “the little guy,” for the common people, for those who’ve needed the change in the status quo the most.
Beware the lies and misdirection
What he’s done, rather, is provide ways for the already rich and powerful to become even richer and more powerful. He’s made it easier for the “big guys” to retain their privileges and benefits, making the economic gap between rich and poor wider still.
For years, he has called the shots, so his administration is the status quo by default already. Throughout his term, Trump hasn’t challenged the very pillars of his office. On the contrary, he has willingly and happily dressed himself with all the powers and benefits his position entails, and though he’s pushed those powers to the limit when it comes to issues like immigration and alleged obstruction of justice, he hasn’t really challenged any political structure. He certainly has not made politicians more accountable, for example. On the contrary, he’s trying to make presidents and the ruling class more and more immune to the law as ever. That’s precisely the opposite of challenging the status quo.
It’s difficult to tell whether Trump’s campaign strategy will work. On the one hand, there’s the willingness of his base to believe him. On the other, there’s the obvious fact that he’s no different from the disease he’s promising to cure. Only time will tell which of these two forces will win.
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