In Defense of the Trump Voter
It is well known that when Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president on June 16, 2015, not a single person in the universe imagined that he would win 15 of the first 26 caucuses and primaries. For nine months the pundits have continuously predicted his demise, but with each passing day his popularity surges. Now the opponents of Trump have begun waging total war to prevent the frontrunner from winning enough delegates to earn the nomination.
The most salient feature of this conflict between the Trumpards and the anti-Trumpards is that the latter are incapable of understanding the former. The people who do not support him cannot imagine why anyone would, and therefore the attempts to persuade Trump supporters to abandon their candidate have largely failed. In fact, the anti-Trumpards’ tactics have not been persuasion but derision and condescension.
“You can’t vote for Trump,” they insist, and Trump supporters simply dig in their heels.
Over the past few weeks, the efforts to dethrone Trump have become more trenchant and more concentrated, but often these have had paradoxical effects. During the March 3 debate, Trump was subjected both to a fusillade of abuse from his fellow candidates and to a sustained interrogation from moderators armed with video montages and legal briefs. To Trump supporters, it looked like a gang-up on their man. Earlier that morning, Mitt Romney delivered a 20-minute philippic against Trump at the University of Utah, which looked especially suspicious to Trumpards because Romney hadn’t so much as sneezed in public since November of 2012. The entire day verified their belief that the establishment is bent on taking care of itself and crushing the will of the people, and they rallied even more devotedly behind the man who has promised to make America theirs again.
Meanwhile, the anti-Trumpards are nonplussed. “Didn’t his supporters hear what he said about Muslims? About disabled reporters? About killing terrorists’ families? How stupid do you have to be to back somebody who says things like that?”
What they fail to understand is that Trump supporters are not stupid. Of course they know what he said about Muslims and disabled reporters and terrorists’ families. They know he’s donated to liberal politicians. They know all about his volte-face on abortion and his cursory understanding of policy. All of this means nothing to them. They like Trump’s negotiation skills, and they are prepared to send him to Washington with only one directive: “Fix it.”
One of the foremost critiques of Trump is that he is not a real conservative. After all, he opposes free trade and praises Planned Parenthood, and he has advocated a ban on assault weapons. But, as Trump himself has said, principles are simply a hindrance. One must be flexible in politics, or else nothing will ever get done. In other words, it is good that Trump is not a real conservative because he will be free to pursue results.
What these results will be they do not know, nor do they ask. Trump is one of the most adept negotiators in the world, which is proved by his staggering net worth of $10 billion—or something like that. The Trumpards do not know for sure because he cannot release his tax returns while the IRS is persecuting him for his Christian faith. At any rate, Trump’s negotiation skills are terrific, and they’ll allow him to get things done. He’s on the people’s side, and he’s going to whip into shape all the politicians who he rightly says are all talk and no action.
Negotiations will obviously require sacrifices, but that’s okay. His supporters don’t mind that. They want to see things get done. In one recent speech, Trump said, “You won’t have to be careful if I’m president. I’ll be careful for you.” Finally, a politician who will look out for the American people! The other Republicans are splitting hairs about nonsense like how to reform the tax code and the immigration system, but Trump can see the big picture. He will not allow himself to be straitjacketed by details. What the voters want is for Washington to Get Things Done.
“Believe me,” Trump says, and they do believe him. Why shouldn’t they? He’s the only candidate who’s not tied down to ideology, who will bargain about everything. They do not know what concessions he might make, but neither does he! That is what makes President Trump so enchanting. If he needs tariffs to make America great, he’ll be flexible about free trade. If he needs to kill terrorists’ families to make America great, he’ll be flexible about human rights. If he needs to “open up” libel laws to make America great, he’ll be flexible about the First Amendment. The Trumpards want him to do something in Washington—they don’t care what and they don’t care how.
“Believe me,” Trump says. They believe him. They trust him. They don’t need details or principles or even savoir-faire. They need Trump; they need negotiation; they need secret backroom deals, arm-twisting, double-dealing, backstabbing. They need someone who’s willing to do anything.
That’s Trump. Now that he’s bankrupted his casino, he wants a Great America.
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