Disengaging Republicans

We hope that the withdrawal of support for Trump by his own party has not arrived too late.

Although at this stage it might seem impossible, Donald Trump’s statements continue to surpass their own limits in vulgarity, reaching levels never seen before in American politics and rarely seen at some bars. A leaked recording in which the mogul refers to his thoughts about women shows an egomaniac loudmouth, convinced he can do anything. For someone who aspires to occupy the White House, this attitude should cause great concern instead of serving as a reason for all kinds of jokes. However, it should not cause any surprise when leading Republican figures start to desert the party, as senator and former presidential candidate John McCain did on Sunday. Hopefully, it was not too late!

The Republican presidential candidate has made overpowering and chauvinist language his signature. He and his supporters flaunt its usage, disguising it with sincerity, in front of what they call the hypocritical politically correct language of the establishment—Washington—which, for them, is embodied by Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. This is a good example of the distorted concepts that Trump has used as strategy since the beginning of his Republican primary campaign. As any child knows, humiliation and deprecation are not congruent with sincerity and are absolutely incompatible with good intentions. Likewise, the destructive economic management of Trump’s own businesses—including allegations of fraud in the case of the phantasmagorical Trump University—is the opposite of a prosperity plan for the economy of a giant like the United States.

Another poisonous strategy that Trump uses is to convert the presidential election into an emotional referendum in which what matters is his character. Those in the opposing field do the same because they cannot control their own habit of attacking their opponents. At the same time, Trump focuses his political discourse on personal insults and threats. In America—and in neighboring countries—it is even harder to find a group that has not been insulted by the millionaire: Mexicans, women, journalists, congressmen, the U.S. president, several former American presidents, Muslims, Republicans who do not praise him, Hispanics, Europeans… The offences he directed at Hillary Clinton during the presidential debate on Monday are shameful; allusions to the sexual scandal in which Clinton’s husband was involved during his presidency are simply not related to the elections that will take place in four weeks. And the threat to arrest Clinton in the case of Trump’s victory is more characteristic of a bully than someone who aspires to pursue the most influential political position on the planet.

It is important not to fall into the trap of dismissing Trump’s chances and of not taking the possibility of his victory in November seriously. In fact, his opponent, Clinton, does not. The power to distort that his character has introduced to American democracy is such that all his scandals strengthen him. Trump is dangerous for everyone.