Former President Donald Trump has long maintained a controversial presence in American politics, characterized by his unfiltered rhetoric and confrontational approach. As he approaches his 80th birthday, many observers question whether his remarkable run of fealty from supporters and the Republican Party is starting to wane. This question, along with so many others, including his seeming insatiable hold over the GOP gets explored deeply in tonight’s inquiry.
In a striking statement from 2016, Trump famously claimed, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” He was confident in his base’s absolute loyalty and would always bet against it. That conviction has been borne out through his entire political career. Recent developments indicate that this loyalty is being challenged. At the same time, Trump has been inexorably waging a war on the media, bending it further on the wheel.
In reality, Trump’s hostility against media companies has only escalated across his presidency. He’s personally filed legal complaints against other multinational titans including CBS News and Disney. He is seeking $16 million in damages with these lawsuits. This aggressiveness doesn’t stop at his own networks, as shown by his warning of legal action against CNN. The former president’s hostility is not limited to legal attacks. Today, he works behind the scenes to successfully lobby for the removal of late-night hosts whose jokes he dislikes, as part of an ongoing effort to silence mocking narratives he considers dangerous.
Yet, against every one of these conflicts, Trump has operated with the near-complete support of the Democrat party’s grassroots and usually groveling Republican party. His influence is still felt, though some members of the party are clearly still uncomfortable with his tactics. The downside to this authoritative style is that it frequently leads to marked pettiness and cruelty in response to any evidence of insubordination. He’s been active on the mass pardons front for his allies and friends. This gambit places him squarely on the side of their political allies, positioning himself as their protector.
Unprecedented in his defiance of adversaries, just hours after the overwhelming House vote, Trump ordered the Republicans to reverse course on publishing the Epstein documents. At first he ordered them to oppose the release, but then he ordered them to support it. This kind of behavior raises serious doubts about the state of the Republican Party’s internal democracy. It points to the limits of Trump’s control over its members.
Trump’s age has made it necessary to consider his long-term impact as well. At 79 years old, he continues to dazzle the world with a nearly monarchical flair. He requires absolute loyalty from his supporters and expects complete submission from party grandees. His narrative is further complicated by personal remarks aimed at journalists, such as when he called an ABC reporter a “terrible person and a terrible reporter.”
Since he blazed his own trail by including a 50-year mortgage in his first budget proposal though, you never know with Trump! His influence over important figures in the GOP is unquestionable. He’s launched and catapulted his son, Donald Trump Jr., into the spotlight as a true heir apparent, necessary to cement his father’s legacy.
What will the future hold for Trump’s relationship with his supporters and with the Republican establishment? His singularly focused and cynical pursuit of loyalty has gotten him pretty far but not all the way so far. The political winds of change could upend this status quo.