Disclaimer: I am NOT a Trump supporter nor Republican.
I’m just reporting my observations about Trump and explain why I think he has a good chance to survive his entire term in office.
Associations
Before we look at the obvious reasons why Trump has an advantage against impeachment, like the House and Senate majority, I want to focus first on Trump’s history with the American public, and how that bond was forged over the course of his entire career.
Throughout his entire life, Trump’s name has been his brand. After receiving what Trump claimed to be a “small” loan, just short of $15 MILLION, he was able to start a successful business. Once he started expanding, building things that should NOT exist, like Trump University and Trump steaks, (sorry I had to) Trump’s brand had gotten around to the general public.
It was in these early stages that Trump was able to build his support from the ground up. Growing up watching Trump on TV, and occasionally in movies, people began attributing his name to success. It was this association that allowed Trump to gain celebrity status, and along with it, a following.
you're lucky you're cute.
Marathon Runner
Another aspect to Trump’s successful campaign was the way it was run. Trump knew the rules of the American electoral system, and capitalized on them to secure his votes. Although he didn’t win the majority vote, he didn’t need to. Under the current system, if a candidate receives at least 270 electoral votes, they win the presidency. It was this flaw of an outdated establishment that allowed Trump to win.
But it wasn’t as simple as a mere numbers game. The way he presented himself was what brought him over the line.
In a strange way, I have to admire the strategy behind Trump’s entire persona, on and offscreen. I don’t use the term “strategy” lightly either, the way Trump conducted himself, however foolish it may seem, was actually a smart move.
A LOT of the rhetoric Trump used against Clinton throughout his campaign revolved around Clinton’s email scandal. It was this scandal that allowed Trump to rally support. On the surface, it seems like if any actions were to be vilified, it would most likely be Trump’s mocking of the disabled or his “locker room talk.” And while that’s true, there were counter’s by the Clinton campaign targeting these exact moves, it was the fact that Clinton had potentially commit one offense that screwed her chances of becoming number 45.
Whenever Trump would say something completely ludicrous, the media would all rush to cover it, saying that this would be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This would be the quote or action that would finally ruin his chances of becoming president. But I would argue that this actually worked in his favor. Because these statements became more and more frequent, Trump was able to outpace the media. Nobody had enough time to fully react to anything Trump said, and by the time they even came close, he had already said something else that was either false, offensive, or both.
Do I think this was his strategy all along? No. But it was this continued insanity that allowed Trump to have a buffer against any rhetoric against him. The media and public were always playing catch up, and ultimately Trump would always end up ahead. But at the same time, Clinton only had her email scandal. Because anti-Clinton advertisements were primarily focused on the email scandal, more people were exposed to this one claim, and after repeated exposure, they started believing it.
Blind Trust
Toward the end of the election season, I noticed that a lot of Trump supporters had this sort of faith in Trump, a blind trust that could not be swayed even by the most solid evidence. And this is no surprise. We’re growing up alongside the YouTube & Netflix generation, the lazy bums who don’t think twice when it comes to controversy. Whatever rhetorical BS they are exposed to will be the same rhetorical BS they repeat. I know because I’m one of them.
The only difference is that I listen to both sides, do some research, then decide where I side on an issue.
It pains me to see that there is a YUGE, almost anti-education movement, growing among this generation. Rather than taking 1 more minute to find the facts, people are willing to be told how to think. I feel that this election turned out the way it did in large part due to the willingness of ignorance.
And we can’t change their minds.
This is why diehard Trump supporters were able to secure the election. If you’re the one among the many who chooses to go against the current, you’re immediately outed by everyone else. This pushes people to bandwagon and go with the group, rather than know all the facts and decide for themselves. It was a social as well as a psychological phenomenon that helped Trump gain massive support during the campaign.
Fear-Mongering
Trump played into the fears of the American public, securing him the election. Past generations have had to deal with Communist and Nuclear threats. This generation fears terrorism and anything else that could jeopardize their physical and financial well being.
The use of buzzwords surrounding the “War on Terror” and “ISIS” is what allowed Trump to boost his rhetoric and rally support. This generation experienced the 9/11 attacks, as well as other instances of terrorism both domestically and abroad, making this issue one of the most important to talk about during the campaign.
By continuing to talk about how he will “defeat ISIS” and “end the war on terror,” Trump was able to make a promise to the American public that nobody would want to pass up. It was because people began equating Trump to not only a successful American economy, but also to safety of themselves and others around them, that he was able to rally so much support.
So Why Can’t He Be Impeached? The public doesn’t have a say here… do we?
It seemed like Trump’s entire campaign was dodging bullet after bullet. Which is why he won’t suffer the consequences of his most recent offense, and Obstruction of Justice. Even if we were to start the process, there would need to be a two thirds majority vote against him in both houses, and because the Republican controls both the Senate and House, with the largest majority since 1931, impeachment doesn’t seem likely.
And although many Trump supporters are finally realizing their mistake, a recent poll by Political Wire found that 11% of Trump supporters are actually saying that they regret voting for him in the first place, because like any good politician, he’s not following up on his promises.
Although Trump’s approval rating is plunging faster than ever, and his supporters have stopped backing him, I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.
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I think Trump is getting a lot of bad press with the whole Comey thing. I think the media focus more on that and the investigation than the promises he made (which he delivered) to the American people. The polls should rather rate him on his job and executive actions. I know I seem like a real conservative/republican but you will be surprised to know I am a objective South African.