Donald Trump’s Awkward Alliances
If Donald Trump has one tacit trait, it is keeping his worst enemies closer than his enemies.
For example, consider his pick for vice presidential running mate.
After much debate over the last few months and the relentless weighing in of different opinions across the Fox Universe, Donald Trump finally zeroed in on J.D. Vance as his running mate.
The choice of running mate could be a game-changer for any career politician. It could signal a possibility further down the road with the right support and planetary alignment for a shot at “Commander in Chief”.
Just before the champagne bottles could be uncorked to celebrate what could be a high point in Vance’s career, the press went to town with his past commentary.
It seemed like Vance had a lot to say about Trump back in the day, from comparing him to Adolf Hitler to terming him unfit for higher office. However, those few nuggets of wisdom he left the press with seven years ago or so pale in comparison with his support for Trump now.
What about his better half, Usha Vance?
You would find the same staunch criticisms here, this time specific to the January 6th “Stop the Steal” insurrection. However, just like her husband, both of them have had to confront their inner demons and muster up support to rally themselves around a person they may detest at a very deep level.
You shouldn’t be surprised, though!
For some time, the same phenomenon has been blatantly visible among much more seasoned Republican Party patrons.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, is a case in point. When Donald Trump was first elected, Mitch threw his weight behind him despite all his flaws to keep both houses under Republican control and to further his own legislation.
When the Capitol attack happened on January 6, 2020, and Mike Pence was dealt a huge blow by the Republican Maga crowd, Mitch knew he had to stand up and say something, but it was a little too late. Mitch had made his bed with the devil, and he would now have to feast on the same dishes as the rest of the party, no matter how sweet or bitter they tasted.
Mitch’s popularity has been steadily on the wane since then.
Then there are his running mates, both from the past and the present. Starting with Marco Rubio, Ted Cruise, Nikki Haley, and even Ron DeSantis, who have in the past been in cross-hairs with him and have made their opinions known to the public, only to come crawling back later to give him their endorsement.
Isn’t this really strange?
The quote “Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows” originates from Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest,” specifically the line “Misery Acquaints a Man with Strange Bedfellows.” In both cases, the underlying logic is that it is common for two enemies to work together in concert, putting aside their differences against a more formidable foe.
Therefore, seeing this phenomenon in action is not at all unusual. This is considered fair play in governments around the world, especially in states where multi-party coalitions are in power.
Israel is one such example. The Likud coalition holding power now is a group consisting of right wing parties consisting of members who have little to lose in speaking their minds out. In the US’s two-party system, coalition politics are rare, and when there are differing opinions within a party, it is inevitable that there will be fractures.
So, what do these people see in Donald Trump?
A ticket to power, perhaps? A shortcut to the top? All you need to do is join the MAGA crowd and deny the legibility of the 2020 elections, and you’re almost home.
Regardless of the rhetoric of “Stop the Steal,” it’s the undercurrent of the people’s frustration that Donald Trump has somehow been able to tap into, and more importantly, sustain, despite his shoddy financial dealings, the courtroom drama around Stormy Daniels, and his multiple court appearances. All attempts by the opposition, as well as detractors within his own party, to render him irrelevant have actually backfired. His base has grown much stronger.
This is a comeback story of a very different kind.
Politicians who have come to realize this acknowledge its importance. The mistake is when they think that they can ride on this leviathan and allow it to rain fire or hail on its enemies while they provide the needed navigation to the beast to get their job done.
This is Donald Trump’s show, and he calls the shots no matter how hard or politically incorrect they might be.
Regardless of whatever you may feel, when your enemies line up behind you, it tells you in not so many words that they have identified a leader to follow.
Many of his past-opponents-now-turned-allies, will say that although they disagree with much of what he says, they ally with his principles in general and the direction in which he wants to take the country.
This should be reason enough to collaborate. Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows, and Trump’s strength may be his awkward alliances.
