The encouraging reasons why America finally turned on Donald Trump – Henry McLeish
Donald Trump’s embrace of war criminal Vladimir Putin, a cost-of-living crisis fuelled by his war of choice in Iran, and ‘let them eat cake’ White House corruption all contributed to a resounding defeat for the Republican party
The US midterm elections were all about Donald Trump and his erratic and unhinged behaviour as president. In a changing America, the mood was angry and voters took out their frustrations on the ‘Grand Old Party’ and their embarrassing surrender to their Great Leader’s every wish.
This was a remarkable set of results for the Democrats, who won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Landslides almost never figure in American elections, but this outcome was remarkable.
Trump, with the lowest approval ratings of any president since 1946, failed to deliver on his cost-of-living promises and embarked on wars of choice, resulting in a global energy crisis, turmoil in the Middle East and humiliation for America. He also strained relations with allies over his friendship with Russian war criminal Vladimir Putin and his neglect of Ukraine and Nato.
READ MORE: US Midterm Elections: Democrats win US Congress control as voters reject Donald Trump's Republicans
‘It’s the corruption, stupid’
Under his presidency, the US has become a deeply polarised country, consumed by questions about culture and identity, burdened by outdated electoral structures, and overwhelmed by issues of race, religion and white nationalism.
However, when I visited Washington DC, New York, Denver and Tulsa last month, one issue surprisingly stood out. Many will remember James Carville’s famous phrase during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential election campaign – “it’s the economy, stupid”.
For these elections, that slogan became “it’s the corruption, stupid”. A poll from the usually loyal Fox News suggested 80 per cent of the public believed this was the most important issue in the midterms.
There had been no attempt to hide Trump’s corruption, but the cronyism of the White House – with special access for crypto fanatics, billionaire tech oligarchs and members of his own family – suddenly became a major issue, fuelling public anger.
As voters struggled to cope with the cost-of-living crisis, cuts in health and education, and the destruction of public institutions, ‘President Inc’ was lining its pockets – a recklessly insensitive, ‘let them eat cake’ mistake, particularly in an election year.
The insatiable demands of his narcissism and greed and his political inexperience all helped rupture his pact with much of the Republican base.
Republicans belatedly sought to disown Trump
The problem of corruption was made worse by the behaviour of the wider Republican party, which has tended to look the other way. This blind-eye approach was also adopted to Trump’s racist, disgusting and unhinged remarks about Africa and people of colour, including the Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, originally from Somalia, whose home in Washington was raided a few days before the election on a warrant from the highly partisan Department of Justice.
Trump’s growing unpopularity created panic among Republican candidates, who were clearly desperate to disown him in the latter stages of the campaign. He had claimed that if his name was on every ballot paper, the Republicans would win.
But party adverts didn’t mention him, sometimes the candidates’ names didn’t appear and only with the help of a microscope was it possible to discern they were from the Republican party.
Instead, they relied on so-called ‘fear porn’ adverts – often sickening, racist, religious and homophobic assaults on Democratic candidates. Republican politics are through the bottom of the barrel.
The Putin factor
Foreign policy is rarely an issue in US elections, but this time it proved to be a significant factor. Trump’s embrace of Putin was seen as a betrayal of American values. Voters were incensed by this apparent treachery and alarmed that Ukraine might be sacrificed to accommodate Putin. A comment by Trump’s foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, to the Russian leader that he was “a humanitarian” confirmed the fears of many.
The Iran War has also shaken and angered America. With no obvious end in sight, this debacle has become an embarrassing failure that is at odds with Trump’s promise there would be no more “endless wars” on his watch.
Adding to Trump’s unpopularity, particularly in key states, was his unqualified embrace of AI, data centres and US tech imperialism. The president has sought to railroad through change in the US with scant regard for any form of regulation, simply asking for voters’ trust. It hasn’t been working. Many communities are angry.
The election result has created a chance to ‘stop the rot’ and bring the power of both chambers of Congress to bear on Trump. His use of numerous executive orders that have so damaged the country and pushed America towards authoritarian rule should now face challenges from the famous system of ‘checks and balances’ enshrined in the Constitution.
Democrats have much work to do
Exorcising this mean spirit in the White House will help, but it is only the start of promoting a different America and tackling real issues.
The Democratic party still has a great deal to do. This election was all about Trump. The Democrats themselves contributed little towards victory in terms of a coherent political strategy, convincing policies and the changing face of progressive politics. Bernie Sanders, a left-wing independent caucusing with the Democrats in the Senate, is influencing policy and encouraging the rise of the Democratic Socialist party in several states.
Meanwhile, questions remain whether the Republicans can throw off their current cult-like adoration of Trump and re-establish themselves as a serious political party. The Grand Old Party is capable of much better, but Trump’s Maga movement remains a challenge.
As for Trump, after this humiliating defeat, will he escalate his assaults on democracy, and seek to sow doubts about the integrity of the vote? Surprisingly, there are early signs that he has accepted the results.
The American people have taken a small but significant step towards rescuing democracy and tackling the corruption of two troubling years. But this must be only the start.
Henry McLeish is a former First Minister of Scotland
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