There was one positive to my trip to see Donald Trump’s rally in Claremont, New Hampshire, last week: I got a free pin emblazoned with Trump’s face and the words “Haters Gonna Hate.” Unfortunately, that nifty souvenir did not make up for having to listen to Trump alternatively stroke his own ego, insult all the other presidential candidates and make racist comments. Much like his campaign up until this point, the rally was all pomp and no substance. Despite Donald Trump’s own opinion of himself, I really do not believe him to be the interloper messiah – come to save politics from itself – that so many Republicans are making him out to be.
I had hoped that by attending the Trump rally I might be able to hear the concrete policies that he has in mind for a potential presidency. However, Trump did not actually talk much about the strategies he would implement were he to be elected into office, save for assuring the assembled crowd that he’d protect their guns and build a wall to keep out the drug-riddled Mexicans. The only other policy-related information he shared was wild assurances that he’d have excellent relations with China and would solve the problem of ISIS and unrest in the Middle East. He refused to share the actual ideas he has with regards to these issues, but nonetheless swore that the plans existed somewhere in his mind. The majority of the rest of the rally consisted of him hurling insults at the other potential presidential candidates, Democrat and Republican alike. At times it appeared that his strategy for election may be to convince everyone that he is the least of all possible evils – a task that appears to prove easier as the fight for the GOP candidacy continues.
Of course, Trump also made repeated references to his candidacy being some novel endeavour the likes of which politics has never seen. According to Trump, Trump running for president— all the while exposing the corruption of politics and politicians— is something incredible that seemingly no one else has or could have pulled off. He appears to think that his supposed mission to speak frankly and improve transparency in politics is something entirely new – never mind the fact that, as previously mentioned, he hypocritically would not give the details for his plans regarding several important policy issues.
I will admit that Trump’s strategy is not like the typical political campaign. His willingness to speak his mind on issues rather than paying lip service to curry favor with voters is unusual. His personal access to financial resources allows him to bypass the archetypal catering to the whims of potential donors. In theory, not paying lip service or pandering to donors represents positive progress for politics; these could be ways to diminish the corruption often present in the political system. But in practice, this plays out as him speaking his mind by spewing offensive, racist tirades. He doesn’t have to listen to and pander to the rich, but he also doesn’t have to — and indeed does not — listen to nor truly attempt to represent those from lower socioeconomic classes and diverse ethnicities.
While the pursuit of corruption-free politics may seem like a noble idea, the reality is less righteous. Trump’s intentions and tactics cancel out any potential positive outcomes. Many citizens look to Trump as a hero who has exposed the fraudulence of politics, seemingly for the good of society. But I do not think that the good of society is anywhere on Trump’s radar. Rather, I believe that Trump’s campaign is built on nothing more than greed and the pursuit of further power and prominence.
Despite many heralding Trump as the first person of any note to take on this mission, several candidates have attempted to expose the corruption behind politics. These candidates do so for the good of society rather than to promote their own interests. In 2012, Stephen Colbert created a Super Political Action Committee and ran a campaign for the South Carolina presidential primary. He purposely crafted a ridiculous name and mission statement for the Super PAC and showed the world just how such channels could allow for money laundering and other financial and political fraud. Colbert was not in it to make a name for himself or to increase his own power, but rather he appeared to truly want to expose the corruption and absurdity behind politics.
While it may be tempting to laud a man whose unconventional approach to political campaigns lends a seemingly frank and expository lens to the typical fraudulence of politics, the intentions behind such a strategy must be taken into account. Trump’s no holds barred, candid approach to seeking the presidential office should not be the approach our society chooses to uphold as a prime example of bravery in politics. His corruption and manipulation run just as deep as the majority of the rest of politicians — he’s just been smart enough to disguise it behind a facade that he knows many American citizens would get behind.
