Paradoxes and Donald Trump go together. Despite dipping approval ratings, Trump is tightening his coconut-crab grip on the Republican Party. As he faces probes for crimes against the State, besides other investigations and lawsuits, how is this possible for a former president to hold sway over his party and partymen? Why have the Republicans become so servile to one master?
The reasons are simple. Trump enjoys a great control over GOP, the Grand Old Party, for his ability to strike fears into Republican hearts. One, the fear of getting edged out of GOP if seen as anti-Trump. Two, the fear of being targeted by an unforgiving Trump who is sure to kill their political careers. Three, the fear of Trump turning them into non-entities in America with his vice-like grip and tigerish spirit of revenge. Gifted with money-might and muscle-power, besides a trademark anger, Trump has come to wield enormous clout within GOP and among the Republicans.
A Bundle of Trumpian Anger
The aftermath of Trumpian ire has been terrible for many a Republican. Consider the case of Liz Cheney. On 16 August, the Wyoming representative, lost her seat in the primaries. Her loss shocked many as she is the daughter of Dick Cheney, a former vice president. Cheney’s defeat was clearly caused by her vote for Trump’s impeachment for the 2021 Capitol attack. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62569056
What about Republican Brian Kemp from Georgia, who has won the primaries, you may ask. After all, Kemp had a major role in the attempts aimed at defeating Trump’s post-poll manoeuvres. Yet, Kemp emerged victorious as he has refrained from bad-mouthing Trump of late. https://www.npr.org/2022/05/25/1101230843/3-reasons-trumps-influence-took-a-big-hit-in-tuesdays-primaries But, Jeb Bush, a former Republican governor of Florida, and Marco Rubio, a Florida senator, failed to scrape through as they are seen as challengers to Trump. https://fivethirtyeight.com/videos/jeb-bushs-path-to-defeat-began-a-year-ago/
This is why most Republicans choose to remain silent in sheer desperation to protect their political careers. Many others in GOP, in a blatant display of double standards, hate Trump in private, but admire him openly in party gatherings. This explains why Trump’s net approval figures within GOP show core Republicans holding Trump in awe. If Trump’s poll-picks have won on most of the occasions, despite Republicans hating him in private, this deserves to be called a paradox. Clearly, Trump is banking on this contradiction now.
Uncertainty over Seized Papers
Whether bankable or not, this contradiction could mean the possibility of Republicans capturing the House and the Senate. Such an eventuality is scaring law-abiding Americans, who dread the prospect of lawless Republicans returning to power in the next presidential polls. If the Republicans return, what will be the fate of FBI investigations into l’affaire Trump? What happens to the documents seized in the FBI raid?
On 8 August, FBI agents raided Trump’s plush Florida mansion Mar-a-Lago in search of the top-secret papers he had smuggled in post-presidency, breaching federal laws. FBI’s frantic search yielded 11 chests of confidential papers. How will these be handled if Trump returns?https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/08/us/trump-fbi-raid
What will be the fate of those incomplete investigations into his business dealings? Will Trump’s return mean end to the scrutiny of Trump’s tax papers by the House Committee on Ways and Means? What will the Georgian state prosecutors probing into Trump’s allegations of presidential poll theft and conspiracy do?
Unfazed Trumpian Fans
Regardless, Trump and his Republican army are soldiering ahead. But, the possible return of Trumpian distractors and his fake-news viralists is becoming a scare in America. By now, Americans know those stop-the-steal campaigns and hijack-theories are products of a devious Trumpian mind. Thus, out in the open American world, the climate is getting hotter for Trump. Worse, Trump is a septuagenarian trudging towards the eighties, which are mere four years away. Clearly, age is not in Trump’s favour.
These issues are not bothering Trump’s Republican fans. Yet, what perplexes Americans more is the rise in Trump’s popularity within GOP as the possibility of his prosecution-conviction rises. So, Americans are sure Trump would run for presidency playing a victim card. But, who will be his choice for senators? Will they be picked from the same unruly crowd which launched the Capitol attack? If the answer is yes, bad luck for Americans who deserve better governance.
Stopping the Trump Chariot
This leaves one vital question on the table: will Trump run for presidency again? Perhaps yes, frighteningly. Why should Trump not run for presidency again when most of his candidates have won their primaries and many of his losing candidates are hungering for his endorsement. Plus, most of the pro-impeach Republicans are retiring anyway. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/us/politics/trump-endorse-primary-candidates.html
Okay, can Trump be stopped from running for presidency, anyway? Pace-loving inclusive Americans are hoping against hope documents seized from Mar-a-Lago are found to be sensitive. Such a finding will push Trump into hot water, prosecuted and convicted, making him ineligible to run for presidency again.
In Conclusion
What if Trump is not prosecuted and convicted? Good for Trump, but he will have to hop over another hurdle. As GOP is a white supremacist-nationalist package, Trump may not get support from America Inc, which does not agree with Trump ideology. This leaves Trump to bank solely on the American voter, who may be determined now not to elect a divisive and undemocratic president to office. This makes Trump, a strong Republican, quite shaky outside his GOP.
