Never Trump

Alongside economic objectives, there’s a method of political action.

Jane Mayer is one of the the most prestigious investigative journalists in the United States. Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of some of the most reputable journalism awards of that country, in January of this year, Mayer published a new book of transcendental importance. The product of five years of investigation, the book is entitled “Dark Money.”

Dark Money

The work reveals the subjugation of the Republican Party to money. She explains how the brothers, Charles and David Koch, who respectively hold the sixth and seventh biggest fortunes in the world, created a sort of “political bank” dedicated to funding and controlling the right party.

Who makes up said political bank? According to the words of the author: “Ignoring the mere millionaires, many whom have held fortunes estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars, the combined wealth of the 18 billionaires that are known to be involved exceeds $214 million” — that is to say, “businessmen like the Kochs, whose vast personal fortunes place them not just in the 1 percent of the richest in the nation, but in the much more select group of the top 0.1 percent or even higher.”*

According to Mayer, these plutocrats, as well as some senators, congressmen, and owners of the press media who occasionally accompany them in their private meetings, come together in absolute secrecy. According to her words, “the participants in these private meetings are warned that they must destroy all written evidence … It is pointed out that they cannot say anything about the meetings. Elaborate security measures are taken to keep the names of the attendees from public knowledge.”*

What is the objective being pursued through the gigantic sums of money that these people devote to party funding? According to Mayer, “they propose a ‘limited government,’ a drastic reduction in taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and minimal supervision of economic activities, particularly when it comes to the environment. According to them, their motivation is guided by principles; however, it is perfectly molded to their personal financial interests.”*

However, these plutocrats not only pursue the political process that adapts to their economic interests, but in order to achieve it, they resort to a political mobilization with particular features. In other words, with economic objectives as a method of political action. Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, describes the essence of the model: “’wild obstructionism,’ its demonization of political institutions, its flirtation with bigotry … Why has this happened? The answer is that this is how a wealthy donor class, dedicated to the aims of slashing taxes and shrinking the state, obtained the foot soldiers and voters it required. This, then, is ‘pluto-populism’: the marriage of plutocracy with right-wing populism.”

The Trump Challenge

The appearance of Donald Trump in the middle of this matrimony destabilized it completely. Being that he is a billionaire, he could go without money from the Koch cohort. Moreover, being an expert in so-called “reality shows,” he could take the ultra-right populism to the maximum level of intensity. His action is nothing more than a hostile takeover attempt of the Koch company — that is, the Republican Party. Talking directly to the shareholders, it would be worth telling voters he is bypassing the board of the company he wishes to take over. And more unforgivable — from the perspective of the company board — is that he advocates to change the corporate policy. In the words of Alex Altman, “In each case, Trump has defied the dogma of the party. He has spoken of protectionism and of the biggest social programs, of a border wall and a tax on the rich. He has defended the merits of family planning and eminent domain.”*

The company board has not launched the battle cry “Never Trump” in vain. Whatever it takes, it is necessary to stop the hostile takeover of the company. To articulate this battle, they turned to Mitt Romney, the former CEO of the company, who dictated the public guideline to follow. The objective is to deny [Trump] the sufficient amount of delegates and to force a Republican Convention overseen by this same board. He will not emerge triumphant from there.

More than Trump’s unpleasant rants, his challenge to this plutocratic cohort is refreshing. Hopefully, it will be difficult for him. God willing, at the same time, he will never enter the White House.

*Editor’s note: These quotes, accurately translated, could not be verified.