Will Trump start his own political party?
By: Lloyd Green (the Guardian)
The debilitating blindness of Eurocentric thinking misses the obvious while clearly stating the obvious. Donald J. Trump has already formed his own political party. Trump's political party resides within the Republican Party. Just as the BLM/Antifa movements have established their own political party within the Democratic Party.
Unlike Europe, the political system in the United States is rigged to favor only two political parties. The rigged American system necessitates creating factions within the only two political parties that are allowed. The American political system has much in common with political systems found in communist countries and less in common with political coalition governments found in Europe.
The rigged American political system requires forming coalitions within each party rather than forming coalitions between parties as is done in Europe. And those factions exert influence over politics by threatening to split the coalitions that form the party. The political angst in the United States revolves around the possibility of dividing the party. As the author Green points out, the concern is that Trump would form a new political party and divide the Republican Party. But that faction has already been established within the Republican Party; Trump has already created his own faction. And that faction will pursue the same political goals within the Republican Party as they would as a separate political party.
Donald Trump has already established a political faction within the Republican Party. That political faction is not going away. Donald Trump hasn't really gone away.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
On Wednesday, Donald Trump became a former president, ensconced in Mar-a-Lago, blocked by Twitter and nowhere near the nuclear football. After 11 jarring weeks and five dead including a police officer, Joe Biden took the oath of office. The will of the people had finally been done.
As he departed Washington DC, Trump announced, "We will be back in some form." His statement is both warning and prediction. Out of sight will not mean out of mind. The calendar, Trump, and his family will all see to that.
The Senate will soon grapple with Trump's impeachment trial. Come the 2022 midterms, the spectre of Trump's 6 January 2021 call to arms will continue to haunt. Beyond that, the Trump brand will play an outsized role in 2024's nominating contests.
Recent reports have emerged of the 45th president forming a third party - the 'Patriot Party' - and the Republican establishment gulped. A competing Trump-helmed, white working class and Christian party would likely devastate the Republican party. He remains popular with the party's faithful at the same time as Americans with college degrees continue to desert what was once the Party of Lincoln.
Insurrection comes with a cost, to a point. Despite the bloody attack on the capitol, seven out of eight Republicans approve of Trump, according to a recent NBC poll. Beyond that, he is the top choice for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. No one else comes close.
Against that backdrop, Mitch McConnell plays with fire as he entertains the possibility of Trump's conviction in the Senate. As fellow Kentuckian Rand Paul recently reminded McConnell: if the Senate convicts, "a third of the Republicans will leave the party".
Still, the probability of Trump actually bolting out of the Republican party is doubtful. The wounded and disgraced former president is more prone to use the threat of forming a new party to batter the Republican leadership into submission. Already, Senator Lindsey Graham is doing Trump's bidding.
No surprise there. If the last four years have taught us anything it is that fear works, and that Trump is more popular among the party faithful than the suits who roam the halls of Congress.
For the moment, however, they can relax. A little. In recent conversations with the Guardian, those close to Trump's inner circle and Republican White House veterans bet against the former television reality show host forming a new party.
As one source with knowledge of Trump's thinking framed things, in all likelihood "he wouldn't" actually do it.
Instead, Trump would simply "hint" at going his own way in the same manner as he "tossed/dangled running for president" for more than two decades before he actually pulled the trigger in 2015.
Trump's motivation is more a matter of "letting off steam and not letting a marketing opportunity go to waste." And then there is revenge.
An embittered Trump would likely fan the flames of internal opposition to his Republican foes. For example, Wyoming's Liz Cheney, an outspoken advocate of impeachment, is already facing a 2022 primary opponent and a move among House Republicans to dump her as party whip.
Although former Wyoming governors and judges have recently heaped plaudits on Cheney for her "courage", none of the state's current elected officials have leapt to her defense. In fact, the Republican committee of Carbon County voted for her censure. By the same measure, conviction of Trump by the Senate is likely to fail.
Looking ahead, another Trump re-election run is uncertain. What he does will likely "depend on what they do to him on impeachment and how much they diss him." Right now the ex-president sits on a mound of cash that makes toppling him even more difficult.
Yet even if the elder Trump ultimately passes on another race, his namesake Don Jr is waiting in the wings. He is the Trump child with real political chops, and his connection with the party's base is genuine. For Don Jr, the Second Amendment is more than an applause line and he comes by his rage naturally.
A Trump World insider framed things this way: "Don Jr is like W", the 43rd president. In contrast to Jeb, who "played the political game and lost", George W Bush "was the purist and defender of the family honor."
For added measure, "Don Jr is even more hardcore and has the following." Unstated is that the 43rd president's sense of family honor helped plunge the US into a needless war in Iraq.
The lure and comfort of dynastic politics appears have taken root among Trump and his backers. The divisions that helped propel Trump's 2016 upset are still with us. Even from the sidelines, Trump will possess an outsized voice. Don't let the small crowd at Joint Base Andrew fool you. The hook brings you back.
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Ignoring the obvious while stating the obvious is quite the feat of journalistic legerdemain. Now the press must lie to itself and hope the public doesn't notice.
Trump is tainted and disgraced and the Republican Party should stay completely away from him...he could never win another national election. The Party needs to be restructured from top to bottom and all the RINO's like Romney and other Establishment types need to be weeded out by natural selection. Don't know yet who will take up the banner of the populist people's party, but I am still looking at Nikki Haley to run against Harris, who will have been promoted to the Oval Orifice by 2024 because of Biden's worsening dementia.
Donald Trump will be revived by a Democratic controlled government. Democrats have made Trump the yardstick that will be used to measure how they govern. The Trump faction within the Republican Party will be pointing out the similarities and contrasts between Trump and Biden (much as Obama was measured against Bush).
Who will carry the banner of the Trump faction within the Republican Party is less important than the fact that the banner is there. I doubt that Republicans will be able to resuscitate Ronald Reagan this time. The Trump faction doesn't look askance at trade wars, tariffs, taxes, or a more expansive role for government. The Trump faction won't defend corporate America when jobs are offshored. The Trump faction doesn't seem to accept the notion that 'greed is good'.
The Trump followers seem to have more in common with original founders of the Republican Party: guns, God, and free soil.
Hahaha
Hate to break the news to you but donald is global. A lot of his properties are over seas.
He is one of the most greedy people there is.
I don't know where you all get this rosy look of him.
I can see it now. donald sitting on his golf course in Ireland promoting America first...
Unreal how people buy into it.
Joe Biden is global, too. Just look at how world leaders are heaping praise on Joe Biden. When will Biden receive his Nobel Prize?
Donald Trump's politics (and following) hasn't been framed by Trump as a person. Democrats' fondness for rock star political celebrity has blinded Democrats to what Trump politics is really about.
Attacking Trump doesn't accomplish much; Trump is what he is. But attacking Trump's politics is another matter entirely. Many Republicans learned that lesson the hard way.
What, you mean world leaders are happier to see Biden than have to deal with a narcissistic prick?
What in the world are you talking about. Holy cow man. It was the right wing treating him like a rockstar and attending his rallies. His policy has definitely been framed by him as a person and what he wanted.
donald attacked anyone that dared go or say anything against him.
I swear, some people live in a fantasy world.
Yes, world leaders are obviously happy that Joe Biden is President. Why?
Political rallies are typically about politics, aren't they? Wasn't Donald Trump delivering a political message?
Yes its important to recognize that Donald Trump defeated the Republican Party. Trump was as harsh (perhaps even more harsh) with Republicans as with Democrats. If Democrats wish to frame the Trump movement on Trump's personality then don't ignore how Trump treated Republicans.
Sort of like the press lying to itself and hoping the public won't notice.
Maybe because he will be true to our allies and not sucking up to dictators?
Imo political rallies are a show of idiocy. I don't care if it is Obama or donald, they are not getting my undying adoration.
As far as I know, no one ever dismissed his treatment of non loyalists.
Or is it because the gravy train will be running again?
That highly personal view of politics doesn't align with institutional performance or public expectations.
Democrats aren't going to flick their Bics when Biden delivers a well staged performance. Public expectations have been formed by the political messages (and promises) delivered at political rallies. The press described Joe Biden's thoughts and prayers performance on the national mall in remembrance of those lost to COVID as a powerful moment. But the public expectation looming over that stagecraft remains 'what is Biden going to do about it?' Unlike a rock band, Biden (or Trump, for that matter) can't pack up and move on to the next concert.
The public expects a rock star to deliver a performance on the stage. But public expectations for political leaders are somewhat more demanding.
Has it ever stopped?
All politicians make promises they can't keep.
we already have nazi and kkk political parties. why doesn't dumb ass just take one or both over?