Follow The Idea, Not The Person
Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and electoral hurdles will not stop the draconian ideas that have grappled on to at least forty percent of Americans.
Yesterday, President Trump — along with his entourage of aides and public officials — was tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The president himself tweeted the circumstance only one day after the first presidential debate, with both events gaining extensive coverage from mass media organizations worldwide. Later during the day, the president and the first lady were admitted to the Walter Reed medical center in Bethesda, D.C., already showing symptoms such as clogged nasal and fever.
This significant event spurred discussions ranging from the election process to ‘what-ifs’, such as what would happen if the president were to no longer be able to carry on the duties of the presidency. With Mike Pence and his family tested negative, such a scenario would likely result in Mr. Pence assuming the role of acting president. In regards to the electoral process, it remains to be seen whether the Trump campaign and the RNC as a whole would replace the president with another candidate.
The discovery of Trump’s diagnosis occurred during an election process that has been framed as a ‘constitutionally significant’ event, which reflects the overall condition of American politics. It has been described as polarized, with two opposing sides being pitted against one another with little to no willingness to compromise from each. It has morphed into two competing beliefs and values generally ascribed to a division between urban and rural populations but also towards race, ideology, religion, and even practical things such as wearing protective face masks. It is even readily visible in the replies to the tweet above, as scores of people online seemingly cheered for Trump’s positive diagnosis. The nation is as divided as ever since 1865.
For the past four years, President Trump has always been at the forefront of this division. His campaign is mired with calls for violence against political oppositions, support towards white supremacist groups, discrimination against minority groups, and most importantly attempts to dissuade the public from the severity of the ongoing pandemic. With Trump having tested positive for the virus himself, many people have contemplated that this will finally bring his supporters to their senses, and realize what kind of person they have been following for years. But alas, that may not be the case. Consider this tweet from the author of the book “Imperfect Union”, Chuck Raasch:
Mr. Raasch’s tweet contributed to speculations on how Trump supporters would react to this new development, bringing forth several important points to note, one being that the idea behind Trump has become independent of the person himself. Popular saying would suggest that the country had only begun to worsen when Trump climbed into the foray with his controversial platform in 2015, at numerous times openly spouting ideas that seem revolting even after four years. Most liberal-leaning publications have noted Trump’s tendency to empower racism and extremism inside the country, which have led to protests and violence over high-profile cases the death of George Floyd and the Portland protests in 2020. Now, these ideas are at a point where the people who uphold these are comfortable with expressing them in public regardless of whatever happens to Trump.
David Harsanyi, while writing in defense of the administration on the conservative National Review, ironically pointed out the futility of being against the president instead of going after the long-term ideological battle:
“Aha!” critics will also say, “you’re willing to overlook all of Trump’s behavior in exchange for long-term ideological victory.” Absolutely! There are limits to everything, of course, but if the choice, as many voters rightly see it, is between a group that wants a nationalized health-care system to pay for abortion in the ninth month of pregnancy and one that doesn’t, it’s not a difficult one to make.
Mr. Harsanyi’s words imply that those supporting Trump does so not because of the man himself, but because he carries forth ideas that already aligns with the political views of a large portion of the country. This leads to the second point — which I think is most crucial — in that these ideas are held dearly by a large subset of Americans, and that Trump had merely let them know that it is acceptable to embrace these values. Expanding on Mr. Harsanyi’s case examples of nationalized health-care system and abortion, these ideas include white supremacy, religious extremism, domestic terrorism, and racial discrimination, ideas which Trump’s inaction could only mean endorsement by the state. Should the two dominating political spheres continue to be complacent towards this development, it could lead to a cataclysmic future for the entire country.
While lots of liberal writers have made similar points in the past, the ongoing pandemic and the significance of this year’s elections made them more pertinent to the nation’s continuation for the next hundred or so years. My take is that Trump’s diagnosis — and, given the relative risk of the disease to people his age, a bleak eventuality — should not be taken as a sign of the end of this entire problem. Despite all his controversies, including the recently uncovered tax records, Trump still maintains the support of at least two-fifths of Americans; these ideas have permeated unto them that the Trump presidency’s possible end alone would no longer stop those from existing. With the advent of movements such as QAnon and widespread rejection of mainstream science, large swaths of the population would remain xenophobic, open to discriminate and become violent against people who oppose their beliefs, far beyond this presidency.
What Americans must do to fight such an opponent is to continue the fight against these draconian ideas in spite of Trump. Voting for the alternative, such as Joe Biden, to uphold a predetermined “status quo” prior to Trump only appeals to a subset of the population as, for some, the status quo meant unequal law enforcement and abandonment by the country. To fight Trump and the ideas he align with meant redefining what the country stands for: whether it be for some, or for all. But, most importantly, it should go beyond this presidency.
