Should we still give so much importance to coverage of Donald Trump?
I’ve been asking myself this question since the day he went down the escalator to announce his candidacy for the 2016 election.
Trump exploited the media better than anyone and they took advantage of his presence to boost their ratings. Having helped create the monster, we must now work to correct this error.
After Joe Biden’s victory in 2020, many of us thought that a former president under siege by the courts would be confined to the sidelines for the 2024 election cycle.
Not Hitler, but not much better
Despite everything, Trump is more dangerous than ever. This is why I am convinced that we must continue to talk about it, not doing so carries too many risks.
If Trump is not Hitler, it is nevertheless difficult to deny that he borrows some strategies and declarations from the game plan of the fascist regimes of the 1930s. Since his defeat in 2020, the 45e president has never been so violent in his remarks.
When he says that thieves should be shot down in the street or that he will divert government services to obtain revenge, there is nothing reassuring for democracy and respect for the charter of rights.
Force reflection on the powers of the executive
The historian in me nevertheless sees a use in Trump’s presence: to expose the flaws in the American Constitution.
If it must first be ruled out definitively, it will then be necessary to tackle two enormous projects. First of all, listen to those who follow him to try to understand their frustration. We cannot hope to get closer to everyone, but it is imperative to show that we are not ignoring them.
Secondly, we must tackle the vagueness surrounding the limits of executive power. The founding fathers did not envision victory for a man facing 91 counts. They believed that the electoral college and impeachment proceedings would be enough to remove such an unworthy candidate from office. Trump does not compare himself to any other president.
In this regard, I look forward to seeing what the Supreme Court will say about presidential immunity. If the constitution is clear on the immunity enjoyed by elected representatives of Congress, nothing is said about the president. The highest court’s opinion will of course have a major impact on the trials involving Trump, but above all it will have an impact on the future of the presidency.
American democracy has many shortcomings (the main one being the domination of money power) and both political parties too often get carried away by their extremes.
We hope for better, but, in an emergency, we should at least come together to rule out the most serious symptom of the ills that are gnawing at the system.