Will Trump Get Trumped?
When the United States became an independent country, we decided to break from archaic monarchy and become democratic. This has effectively shaped our nation into the first world country it is today. Democracy’s foundational leader, being the president, duties is not just what they’ve done and can do for the country, but how they inspire the citizens.
The president is the face of the nation. Former president John F. Kennedy was an extremely popular president for his youth and his “New Frontier” agenda where in his inaugural speech he addresses “…ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country…” He inspired his generation to see hope for a better future. When former president Barack Obama was the face of the U.S., to many he was the evidence that we are a changed nation that was striving towards equity. But things got a little, let’s say, trickier, after the 2016 election when former president Donald Trump was elected. And then when he was not reelected for a second term, things went downhill for him.
After the 2020 election, Trump was allegedly mishandling classified documents. On top of that, he has also been indicted for three other criminal cases , with a total of 91 criminal charges . This summer he became not only the first president to be charged with criminal activity, but the first to receive a mugshot as well. Now, Trump did plead not guilty, and it is an ongoing trial so there has been no final say yet. But again, the president is the face of the nation. How likely is America going to think twice about who they’re voting for after seeing his mugshot? The president should be a model citizen, seeing as they represent our country. I do not think many Republicans, if they are determined to win the presidency, will be siding with Trump. Politics is a pointing finger game. If you’re running for presidency, the best person to point at is the one who’s becoming infamous. Easily, current president Joe Biden will be thrown under the bus due to our lacking economy right now. But now that America’s leading candidate for the republican party is also being dragged through the mill, people might start turning towards whoever is loudest.
During the first Republican debate that was held on August 24th, there were many mixed emotions surrounding Trump. All Republican candidates except Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson had raised their hand when asked if they would support Trump if he was selected as nominee. But that’s future talk, and politicians are finicky about whether they stay true to their word. I think it might be mentionable to point out the one who knew him best, Mike Pence, burned his bridges with Trump. During the debate, Pence’s rejection of Trump’s pleas to halt Biden’s certification was brought up and Pence simply answered that he puts the constitution first.
But this could work in Trump’s favor with the people. Everyone loves an underdog. Trump could flip the script by pointing his fingers right back at Republicans, and rather all politicians, by stating that he is a scapegoat. Every president and politician in general has most likely committed crimes without the public’s knowledge. So, who’s to say he won’t get away with this? And who’s to say U.S. citizens will mind or won’t mind? I just hope my grocery prices go down.