Trump Despises Politics

An old and deep-rooted prejudice, promoted by the anti-political, holds that politicians swim in a pool without principles or values, where all actions are oriented to a single end: to win power and keep it, no matter what, regardless of the method used or who is annihilated.

“The end justifies the means” is the phrase, attributed to Niccolo Machiavelli in “The Prince,” that summarizes this viewpoint. I believe this maxim distorts what was stated by the founder of politics as a modern science. The struggle to conquer power and keep it does not mean the denial of morals or values. What a prince had to understand was that to remain as head of state, he had to detach from personal affections and considerations, for those attachments could lead him to actions dictated by sentimentality or compassion.

Donald Trump represents the embodiment of the braggart, immoral, opportunistic and authoritarian character who uses politics, not to promote the common good, but to satisfy his ego in reaching for goals without having the slightest preparation. In his case, his presence in the public sphere is a whim that he has been able to satisfy, thanks to his immense fortune. The ambition of the egomaniac.

The former president is neither Republican nor Democrat. He has committed the excesses of an autocrat, placing himself above institutions and laws in order to try to submit them to his whims. Toward the end of his campaign for reelection in 2020, he constructed the hypothesis of fraud and adulteration of the vote by mail, an American tradition representing the confidence of citizens in the transparency of the vote and in the efficiency of those in charge of counting them.

Despite what was indicated by pre-election polls and what actually happened on Election Day when he lost by more than 6 million votes, Trump persists in his claim of election fraud. Neither the rulings against his accusations by the courts in which he filed the lawsuits nor the evidence presented by his own supporters, who tried to convince him that Joe Biden had triumphed cleanly, have served to convince him of his error — or rather, of his slander. Even Mike Pence, his vice president, has denied it.

Then came the assault on Congress by a mob of Republican fanatics encouraged by the president himself. On that day, the entire planet saw how the head of the United States government cheered on a mob that entered the premises of an institution symbolic of the endurance of one of the oldest and most admired democracies in the world. No U.S. president had ever thought of attacking that symbol of popular sovereignty. Trump fomented an insurrection and a coup d’état, rejected even by Pence, who was later accused of cowardice by the ruler. Pence’s firmness was the key that prevented Trump from ignoring Biden’s victory.

Trump’s history as a former president is deplorable. Among the numerous accusations against him is that of having taken from the White House several thousand classified documents, many of highest security, which should not have been removed — they are the property of the U.S. government. The most striking thing about the excesses that always accompany Trump is the popularity he enjoys among members of the Republican Party. The more evidence accumulated of his outrages and the more he is accused of acts that violate the law and the majesty of politics and personal decorum, the stronger he becomes to the Republican rank and file.

Where are the democratic and republican values of a party that had among its militants that genius named Abraham Lincoln? How is it possible that a person who promotes sedition and lawbreaking — violating the security of the first military power in the world — is now the leader of one of two parties that have sustained American democracy for more than two centuries?

There is a sharply dissonant and disturbing trend at large in a significant sector of the country, which not only encourages the dissolution of institutions, but also promotes weaponry and violence on multiple levels and unabashedly foments social discord.

Trump is an anomaly, demonstrating how dangerously tolerant republican and democratic systems can be of enemies who enjoy popularity. The former president has committed serious, unconscionable crimes that must be punished. It would be a disgrace and a great risk for the democratic world if, due to the slowness of the American justice system, Trump were to become a candidate and, eventually, president again.

It should not be left to fanatical voters to decide whether he will again be the leader of the nation. Politics is not the preserve of rascals, but a field that should be exalted. It is up to the judiciary to act as a force for correction and the restoration of dignity.

Trump must be excluded from the public sphere because he despises politics.