Here we go again. On November 5th the most dramatic political comeback was completed, as Donald Trump returned to the White House four years after losing out to Joe Biden. Half of America rejoiced, while half wallowed in fear and trepidation of what a second Trump term might bring.
There are certainly valid reasons for concern. Trump’s previous time in the White House ended with his attempt to undermine the peaceful transfer of power that is essential to the democratic system by inciting Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. Fortunately, the uprising was quelled, and Biden took office 14 days later. But as the world prepares for four more years of Trump, there are concerns over women’s reproductive rights, international relations, and the treatment of immigrants.
The U.S. media will have much to critique, but they should avoid getting caught up in repetitive discussions about whether Trump is a fascist and the MAGA movement shares similarities with Nazism. Such conversations were ordinary and anticipated in the build-up to November 5th and have cropped up since, but we should ask what purpose they serve. Articles in The Atlantic, New Yorker, and New York Times are preaching to the converted while providing ammunition to Trump’s base.Those who glimpse the headlines on social media are unlikely to delve deeper, bypassing the content hidden behind the paywall. Instead, they will just be labelled as another hit piece from a media establishment determined to undermine Trump. If the media and the Democrats fixate on debates about fascism in the coming four years, they will unwittingly strengthen Trump and MAGA’s hands.
Instead, the focus should be on why over 50% of the electorate were willing to overlook January 6th to vote for Trump. Seemingly, the danger of authoritarianism was not a sufficient concern to voters to deter them from supporting a candidate with a clear disdain for constitutional norms.
I previously wrote about what attracts voters to leaders with authoritarian tendencies and the need to better understand these motivations. Researchers brought up two key points. First, it is naive to think people place a particular importance on democracy over other factors that might determine their vote. At a time when inflation has dramatically increased the price of necessities such as groceries and fuel, the cost of living was simply the main issue for many voters. And, as is often the case, the incumbent party was blamed for this. Polling by Pew Research Center affirmed that most Trump supporters (93%) said the state of the economy was very important for their vote. While 82% said immigration was a rather significant driving factor and for 76% it was violent crimes. This aligns with research findings that conservatives place particular importance on security and authority.
Interestingly, exit polls showed the state of democracy was the most crucial issue for 35% of U.S. voters, with the economy close behind on 31%. This leads us to the second point, that people who claim to support democracy might accept authoritarian behaviour if it aligns with their political position. Elon Musk and co. did their utmost to convince Americans that democracy was on the line but that it was the Democrats who were the threat, with Trump providing the solution.
So the problem with continued focus on whether Trump is a fascist is that his voters either believe the importance of other issues far outweigh events such as January 6th or see his actions in these instances as justified.
The goal of the Democrats is, of course, to win back the White House in 2028. And the left-leaning media will hope to support this through their political reporting. So allocating space to further debates over fascism and Nazism during the next Trump presidency would be unwise. This doesn’t mean not critiquing Trump when he inevitably acts dishonestly or immorally. But it means being smarter about the language used to criticise and remembering there is a need to persuade those who voted for Trump that there is a better option for their concerns. Is a voter who favoured Trump because they agreed with his economic policies likely to change their mind if they’re likened to a supporter of fascism over the next four years? Or are they more likely to respond positively to explanations about why the Democrats would be better for the economy or addressing concerns around security?
It is a delicate process while someone as volatile as Trump is in power, but articles likening him to a fascist only play into his hands among an electorate whose suspicions of the political and media establishments have festered since the 2008 crash and the rise of social media. The role of the U.S. media is vital in restoring some political normality and reducing polarisation. This can be done by lowering the alarmist rhetoric.
The Trump campaign has emphatically won another four years in the White House via a democratic vote. To ensure they are best placed to defeat the MAGA movement in 2028, Democrats and left-leaning media should now dispense of discussions over fascism and Nazism and turn their efforts to understand why voters backed Trump. By understanding and focusing on the key issues for voters, the left will be best placed to win back the necessary votes to win in four years’ time.
Image: Fox News
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