Trump won a decisive victory in Iowa on Monday, the first step in his quest, which now seems inevitable, to secure the Republican nomination for the presidential election in November.
• Read also: Donald Trump wins Iowa Republican primary
Trump’s victory sends a resounding message that the enormous legal problems he faces are not harming him. He faces 91 criminal charges in 4 different cases. On the contrary, he uses them among his gullible supporters to denounce the corruption of the American justice system. Polls show that the only thing that could hinder his march to the White House would be a criminal conviction by next November, which is unlikely given the delaying tactics of his lawyers.
The Iowa caucuses saw low turnout due to extreme weather. But the result is still a clear indication of Trump’s irresistible rise. He won’t be confirmed until the Republican National Convention in July, but his resounding victory in Iowa, likely followed by victories in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, will make him unstoppable.
Trump “pulverized” his two main opponents
While former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley was expected to take second place, it was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who got it. So far behind Trump that it’s hard to see how DeSantis can hope to win the nomination against him.
Commentators have suggested that conclusions should not be drawn from the Iowa results. I think this is a worrying sign of things to come. The race for the Republican nomination will move to New Hampshire next week. Another very good performance from Trump would confirm his dominance. Haley needs to get a significant number of votes in this state where voters are more moderate, more educated and less religious.
As noted by New York Timesthe results “appear, at first glance, to be nothing less than an act of political magic: the billionaire, son of a multimillionaire, has become the voice of the American working class.”
His victory confirmed his voting base’s persistent call for Trump to return to power to implement a far-right agenda, replace “deep state” bureaucrats with supporters and exact revenge on his political opponents.
Polls show that a majority in the United States wants substantial change in the way the American government operates.
Towards a despotic “Trumpet” state
It is Trump’s intention to establish an authoritarian government. In his speeches and interviews, he promises, if elected, to take revenge on his political enemies by using state power against them. He regularly uses expressions from Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini against his adversaries. He said immigrants entering the United States illegally are “poisoning the blood of [leur] country”.
The fact is that a frightening number of Americans, poorly educated and under-talented, are fed up with democracy and believe that only authoritarian government will save them from the abyss. Incredibly, despite his vices and sins, Trump, a non-churchgoer, enjoys the support of evangelicals who believe he was chosen by God to save the United States.
His selection as Republican presidential candidate seems inevitable. “Oh my God!”, to use the title of the Newspaper the morning of his election to the presidency.