There Surely Will Not Be a President Trump

This summer, my family and I had the opportunity to travel to the USA, where we were warmly received. The campsites were in the midst of nature, the inner cities of Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago were surprisingly beautiful, and on Sundays, we received a warm welcome in the churches.

We are currently in Michigan, where the children are able to go to the beach everyday, and the relaxed quality of life gives the impression that summer will be endless.

All of this is in stark contrast with U.S. politics, which have caused feelings to run high among Americans. Last Thursday, the first debate between the Republican presidential candidates prior to the elections, which will not take place until November 2016, was held. The increasing popularity of businessman Donald Trump is something that especially bothers a lot of Americans.

Reckless Windbag

Almost every American is surprised — and often outraged — that somebody like Trump is doing so well in the polls. At the same time, his candidature seems to be something only possible in the USA. He is a billionaire reality TV-star, a reckless windbag without any kind of political experience whatsoever and without clear or consistent ideas. I, however, do wonder whether Trump is that uniquely American. Instead, he looks more like a representative of a more populist political movement, which in Europe and the Netherlands, we have seen before.

Various American commentators have taken a close look at Trump’s success. It seems that his popularity is mainly due to his being so direct. Contrary to politically correct candidates, he is not afraid to say anything. His description of Mexican immigrants as drug dealers, criminals and rapists has shocked many Americans. It, however, has also contributed to his popularity. His biggest virtue is that he is not one to mince words. In the Netherlands as well, we know of a politician who gained prominence in a similar fashion. Although [Geert] Wilders was taught the political trade from within the VVD [People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy] political party and seems to be more cunning than Trump, they have a lot in common.

According to political analysts, Trump is regarded as someone who is not afraid to make decisions and take risks. He wants to take China in hand and is distancing himself from all of the “losers” and “idiots” who have managed to accomplish very little. This all sounds positive in comparison to Obama, who has a reputation of being half-hearted in terms of foreign policy. As a businessman, Trump is decisive and takes risks. He went bankrupt several times but subsequently managed to build an even bigger business empire.

Trump being a businessman and not a politician in the least is something that works in his favor. His opponents are predominantly experienced politicians. The public, however, is completely fed up with said politicians after all of the crises of the last couple of years and considers Trump, the businessman, a refreshing and unique alternative. It does not matter that no one actually knows what it is that Trump wants to accomplish; he hardly comments on this matter.

Narcissistic

What is clear is that he combines extreme right-wing views, such as the restriction of immigration, with left-wing views, such as a government-regulated health care system like the one in Canada. In this regard as well, his ideas are similar to the PVV’s [Party for Freedom] political program. This does not seem to be a problem for his often right-wing followers for the time being.

Ultimately, the chances of Trump ever becoming president are very slim. In time, he will have to come out into the open with his political agenda because opposition against his candidature only appears to be growing and perhaps he will throw in the towel early.

Some think him to be narcissistic to the extent that he will only continue as long as he remains the center of attention. And if he somehow does manage to become the Republican candidate, he will probably be facing a more nuanced Democratic candidate.

It is clear that Donald Trump is able to represent the widespread feeling of discontent that is currently present in the United States as well as in Europe. He is the anti-politician who is not afraid to speak the established order of truth and is able to translate complex matters into everyday language. Viewed from this angle, Trump’s controversial candidature is not just an American phenomenon.