The United States’ economy is picking up under President Joe Biden. Unfortunately, the effect of the robust state of the economy in America’s election appears not serious. Or, what explanation can exist for Biden trailing behind his predecessor, Donald Trump, in the race for the White House? Since last October, Biden has trailed Trump in polls. Now, in the heat of the primaries and caucuses, things still look tight for Biden.
What is certain for now is that Biden is the only one who can deny himself the Democratic Party’s ticket for the November election, and it is certain that the Republican Party ticket is already in for Trump. Many of those who earlier showed interest in the party’s ticket have pulled out of the race. Not just that they pulled out, they declared support for Trump and are going all out to champion his cause.
Despite all the legal hurdles, these guys seem set to ensure another Biden/Trump battle. Trump faces over 90 criminal charges. The legal quagmire means nothing to North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. Last December, Burgum ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsed Trump in January. This was after six months of campaigning with a promise to lower inflation, push America to be energy independent and secure its southern border.
Like Burgum, ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also pulled out from the race. He did in January, a few days before the Iowa caucuses and backed Trump.
Another hopeful who dropped out in January is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He endorsed Trump, thus entrusting him with his quest to “reverse the decline” in America.
Trump also has the support of Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder who ended his quest for the presidential nomination in October 2023. He was running on the promise to secure the border and combat criticism that the United States is systemically racist. He also sought to counter what he described as “epidemic of fatherlessness”.
Others who have run out of the race are Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, ex-Vice President Mike Pence, Tech entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and ex-Texas Representative Hurd.
Hurd didn’t endorse Trump. Known for his scathing attack on the former president, he pitched his tent with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a challenger for the Republican presidential nomination. Inflation, China’s global influence, artificial intelligence and children’s low scores in math, science and reading were his key campaign talking points. Now, he is hoping Haley will thrash Trump and get the nomination.
Pence, who also dropped out of the race, once said Trump “should never” be president again because of the aftermath of the 2020 election. He was Trump’s deputy when the former president tried to undo Biden’s victory. Trump quickly re-christened him a weakling for not working against the greater good.
With a Trump candidacy imminent, can Biden defeat him a second time? Or, are we set for another four years of Trump. His first four years were more troublemaking and less troubleshooting. He made troubles with almost everyone. His friends were white supremacists and those who benefitted from his policies. African-Americans felt left at the back. Europe didn’t get along with him. He treated Africa as a shit hole and dealt with the Chinese like lepers. Immigrants were objects of misgiving and mimicry. Mexicans were treated with disdain and he began walling them off. He also separated children from their mothers in an inhuman immigration policy.
In those four years, the rule was: Cross Trump and get tongue-lashed. Reporters had their fill. News conferences were avenues for the immediate past president to thrash the media for a perceived wrong. CNN, to him, meant fake news. New York Times, Washington Post, and others were despicable. Even Fox News that started as an ally ended as a traitor. For Trump, there were no permanent friends. The only thing that was permanent was his interests and once you were against his interests, you automatically switched camp and were dressed down in the worst language possible. Pence can testify.
Trump also eroded core alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, provoked traditional partners and pampered autocrats such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Never had America seen such an era, and it could take some time for such a mistake to be made again. Some say the mistake can never happen again. But, with democracy, never say never. Even ‘fools’ at times appeal to the majority and get the coveted crown.
In a lot of ways, White supremacists had a field day. So free were they that they threatened fire if their man was not re-elected and taking over the Capitol was the height of their madness. They wanted the heads of Pence and Speaker Pelosi and others they considered traitors. They broke glasses and desecrated the hallowed chamber. Reports suggest that dozens of law enforcement officers, active-duty military members, and veterans participated in the global giant’s moment of shame. Now, the Capitol has a high wall and the National Guard is out to keep the dogs of war away.
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It will be unfair to write off the Trump years totally. He was not all bad news. He is credited with overhauling the U.S. judiciary, especially with the appointment of three Supreme Court justices and the fast-tracking of the appointment of more than 200 federal judges. He is also respected in some quarters for pushing through massive tax cuts for corporations, expanding the economy faster than it was under Barack Obama, and crashing unemployment to a record low— before the economic gains were washed away by the Coronavirus. He also normalised relations between Israel and four once-antagonistic Arab neighbours, and he condensed U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, but like a commentator noted all these were “dwarfed by what Trump got wrong”.
My final take: From now till November, America is going to dominate global news. Except something unexpected happens, Trump and Biden will be the main characters in this book that America has just started writing and the twists and the turns will be unprecedented. Neither of them will have it easy.
