*Editor’s note: On March 4, 2022, Russia enacted a law that criminalizes public opposition to, or independent news reporting about, the war in Ukraine. The law makes it a crime to call the war a “war” rather than a “special military operation” on social media or in a news article or broadcast. The law is understood to penalize any language that “discredits” Russia’s use of its military in Ukraine, calls for sanctions or protests Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It punishes anyone found to spread “false information” about the invasion with up to 15 years in prison.
When Donald Trump suddenly appeared at UFC 287* at Kaseya Center in Miami with his son, Donald Trump Jr., as well as Mike Tyson, Kid Rock and Dana White, he received a round of enthusiastic applause. It probably did not make Joe Biden the most nervous, but rather Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. After facing charges in a Manhattan court, Trump is beating his most serious rival for the Republican presidential nomination by almost three times at 58% to 21%.
The packed fighting arena where the audience greeted the 45th president and chanted “U.S.A.!” was the second time Trump has appeared in public after his arrest. His first appearance was a meeting with supporters in his Mar-a-Lago residence, where the former president went straight from the airport and spoke at a podium.
The rage of the liberal media that evening was especially ineffective. They couldn’t avoid showing Trump’s speech, but they blurred the telephone number asking for live political donations. That didn’t help. Over the course of recent days, Trump’s team has already collected $15 million, and donations keep coming. The same is happening with Trump’s popularity rating among voters.
Essentially, the White House’s approach to Trump’s indictment seemed pretty reasonable. Democratic political strategists apparently decided that because of the criminal charges, Biden’s future campaign opponent would lose undecided voters who play a key role in any election. Second, Trump, now super popular (thanks to the prosecutor’s office and the court) took over the party’s main niche, displacing younger (and more threatening as far as Biden is concerned) Florida Gov. DeSantis. Something, it seems, went awry. Somewhere, Democratic political consultants have miscalculated.
A new poll on the state of affairs in the current U.S. presidential race has shown that Trump currently enjoys the largest lead over Biden in more than a year.
According to fresh data from Rasmussen Reports (collected after the Manhattan District Attorney’s indictment), the Republican candidate gained a seven-point advantage over the Democratic incumbent. Some 47% of potential voters said they would choose Trump over the 40% who would vote for Biden.
More importantly, 44% of independent voters support the 45th president, that is, the voters who are needed to win. Moreover, some 17% of Democrats are ready to vote for Trump. This is the highest number since Biden was sworn in to office. This sociological success would not have been possible without the guilty verdict. Biden’s position is noticeably worse.
Biden’s fellow party members support him more sluggishly (70% of Democrats support Biden as opposed to the 83% of Republicans who support Trump). Independents are also chillier when it comes to supporting him. Only 36% of independent voters want to see the sitting president in the White House for four more years. Under such hostile conditions, it’s especially disadvantageous to seek reelection. That’s why Biden is stalling. He has to adjust to changing circumstances. For Trump, it’s the opposite.
“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” Trump said during his 2016 campaign. There’s no doubt that seven years later, these words still ring true. The main bulk of his supporters, Trumpist conservatives, will always welcome their political idol in any form. Persecution only strengthens these people’s convictions, people who are often themselves targeted. In some sense, this is not just civil but religious worship.
It’s no coincidence that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who rushed to the defense of Trump in Manhattan court, compared him not just to Nelson Mandela but also to Jesus. That’s overkill, of course, but it’s hard to control one’s feelings (especially religious feelings).
For Trumpists, Trump will always be more than a president, whether he is in the White House or in prison.
*Editor’s note: The author is referring to the Ultimate Fighting Championship martial arts event on April 8, 2023.
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