Trump presidency coming to an end but Trumpism is not defeated yet

 Trump will leave Whitehouse on January 20 but Trumpism is not going anywhere

Trumpism clearly demonstrated its presence in America when president Trump’s loyalists stormed the Capitol Hill. They tried to disrupt the process to certify the presidential election results. It never happened before in America. The attack on Congress building was an attempt to dispute the legitimacy of Biden presidency and election results.  

Trumpism has become political reality in America and it will continue to express itself in one way or the other. The economic, sociological, political, and cultural currents that swept Trump to power were gathering long before his rise, and they will persist long after his fall. These conditions still persist in US. And Biden presidency will hardly  make any significant changes. Many Americans are not happy that the way American ruling class is running the country.  

The sort of political and social polarisation, inequality, racial tensions and economic crisis that exist in America perfectly suit the Trump style anti-elite and anti- establishment politics. Biden might not be able to deliver much on economic front. 

In the absence of  a viable left alternate, the far right likely to make gains in this situation. Trump has taken Republican Party further to right to embrace the far right groups.       

 The fate of Trump presidency was decided by the American electorate.  on November 03 presidential elections which won by Democrat candidate Joe Biden. He will take oath on January 20 and that will end the Trump presidency. 

Trump will leave Whitehouse but he will continue to dominate the Republican Party. Trumpism is not going away .Trumpism has not been defeated, with that wing of the Republican party holding a majority now.

president Trump will finally quit the White House in less than two weeks on 20th January 2021, but he will leave behind a huge mess. And unfortunately, Trumpism will not be disappearing, or even weakening, any time soon. Despite his authoritarian tendencies, President Donald Trump’s supporters have stayed with him because of a complex interplay of economic, cultural and racial factors, resulting in a fierce, almost cult-like loyalty.

 Trump — still the most popular figure in the Republican Party — will maintain his enormous influence once he leaves office and lead an unprecedented post-presidency period. 

Trump’s combination of ethno- and economic nationalism a disdain for received expertise and the liberal media and cultural establishment, a transactional, non-principled approach to international affairs, a cult of personality, and a whiff of an authoritarian and capricious leadership style have proved a potent and, many would say, deadly cocktail. 

What is more, it has been appreciated by would-be autocratic and populist leaders around the world, who seem to have learnt lessons from Trumpism to apply at home.

Despite his loss to Biden, Trump holds enormous sway over Republican voters. He outperformed his standing in polling in the leadup to the 2020 election and picked up 11 million more votes than he did when he won the presidency in 2016.

                                           

As a political agenda divorced from the more controversial aspects of his personality and style, Trumpism is part Reagan Republicanism – lower taxes, less government regulation, cultural conservatism – plus a pivot toward a hard line on immigration and an “America First” approach to foreign policy. It’s also infused with old-fashioned populism, in its appeal to Americans who feel forgotten by the powerful.

As long as President Trump himself remains in the public eye – which he is expected to do, his outsize persona will ensure that his political brand dominates the Republican Party for the foreseeable future. 

Many presidents in American history claimed to be political outsiders and a voice for voiceless poor little guys. But nobody can match the sheer disruptiveness of Mr. Trump, both in style and policy. The president’s continuing popularity within the Republican base means that he still holds the party in his thrall, regardless of how GOP leaders feel. 

“The Trump wing of the Republican Party is the Republican Party, and it’s big enough now such that it would take a stunning blow to get those people to reassess,” says veteran political analyst Stuart Rothenberg. 

Trumpism itself has a much more anti-globalist ideology than traditional Republicanism. It’s more generous in terms of social insurance; he’s not trying to significantly reform Social Security or Medicare, or even indicating any interest in doing that.”

The elements of Trumpism adhere to traditional Republican philosophy, including in its conservative judicial philosophy and its approach to taxes and regulation. 

Amid chaotic scenes at the US Capitol on January 6, senior Republicans, in a belated attempt to salvage their reputations, distanced themselves from President Donald Trump’s persistent refusal to accept the result of the presidential election and commit to a peaceful transfer of power. 

But the raging, conspiracy-mongering hysteria of Trump loyalists, and the fact that more than 74 million Americans voted for him in 2020, raise grave questions about the state of US society, and whether Trumpism is really a spent political force.

The failed attempt to stop congress from certify the presidential elections results of Electoral College has been a direct and predictable result of four years of presidential contempt for America’s laws and Constitution.

Trump’s four years in office have imprinted his stamp on the American political map. Even if he squeaks through with just enough support to secure another term, he’s changed U.S. politics in a way that is perilous for the Republican Party—and will be difficult to undo.

Trump’s formula of doubling down on white grievance, ‘owning the libs,’ and pushing anti-elite populist nonsense. There’s just no appetite for reform.

                                                     Khalid Bhatti