As the token Trump apologist at the Citizen during his tenure as President, it is only right and just for me to comment on DJT’s bigly announcement last week. Indeed, so close were our fates intertwined, both Don and I were yeeted from our respective platforms at the exact same moment. But let us let sleeping dogs (as well as all those absentee ballot boxes) lie, and ask the ultimate dragon’s den question: will the big bad orange man be rehired or stay fired come 2024?
Having a record of 1-1 myself on bets concerning the Donald and the Oval Office, I am leery of making a prediction two years out. Much of Trump’s political fortunes have nothing to do with himself but rather on the moves of his opponents and the state of the economy in 2024. If the world looks even more chaotic than it does now, if the Democrats are foolish enough to keep a sundowning Biden and unlikeable Harris on the ballot, the former President has a chance.
But the Donkey Party has maintained much of its power thanks to shrewd maneuvers, especially from Bill Clinton’s first run in 1992 onwards. Perhaps only comparable to our dear Liberal Party of Canada - which has neither reformed nor repented for its diabolical methods - the Democrats’ singular focus on power could very well result in President Biden resigning in his final months, or a totally different ticket being put forward against Trump emeritus and company.
The Donald’s running mate also brings up questions. It is clear that after January 6th, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence and his Commander-in-Chief have not been the best of pals. This does not bode well for DJT’s chances as Pence represented the Religious Right, perhaps the most important Republican voting block, and, like Biden did for Obama, the VP’s conduct calmed fears that the President would become too unhinged or unorthodox in his political policy.
Furthermore, it needs to be understood that pro-life and pro-gun Americans got more out of Trump than almost any other constituency: three Supreme Court Justices, tipping the bench in their favour. Contrary to popular opinion, those of us who stand for faith, family, and firearms are not so naive as to believe that the only instrument available to the Almighty for fixing the rest of SCOTUS, or the US government is DJT. Indeed, Samson only pulled down the pillars once.
This leads us to a crucial point: Donald J. Trump, for all his bluster and braggadocio, has already served his purpose. In 2016, he demonstrated that the establishment could be beaten and Republicans could “punch up” at Democrats; in diplomacy, from the Middle East to North Korea, his administration achieved “impossible goals;” in domestic policy, particularly on trade, his rhetoric helped conservatives cut ties with economic theories that had devastated America.
There is an endless list of grievances and criticism aimed at the 45th President - much of it valid, from tone to substance. But the truth is that very few Commanders-in-Chief have done as much with as little time in office, which is another ironic and infuriating “raising of the bar” for those in polite society who detest this low-brow, orange man with a Queen’s accent. America might be in terminal decline, but the MAGA slogan seemed tangible during the Donald’s term.
If I was an American citizen, would I vote for Trump again? I will respond with a question of my own: will there be anyone else in the primaries more worthy of my ballot? Personally, if I had the ear of DJT, I would advise against running - he ought to play the role of kingmaker. In this way he could protect his legacy while leaving the “what ifs” about his second term to all the biggest fans’ imaginations. He might also secure a position for some of his children’s ambitions.
Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite orange man is not prone to take such advice, nor to leave the spotlight empty handed. In the end, it comes down to the elephants in the room: they can pull for Trump in the primaries, or they might stampede behind another political Florida man.
Nathan Giede is a Prince George writer.
