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Four years ago, many Republicans mocked Donald Trump. And after his surprising election, not a few refused to support him. Today, however, the party is united behind him.
Although the results of November 3 have already been certified and Joe Biden’s victory is certain, Donald Trump remains defiant. He has never lost an election and will win this time as well, Trump said recently at an election rally in the state of Georgia, where major second-round elections for two Senate seats will be held early next year.
Many in the party believed Trump’s accusation of so-called electoral fraud, says GOP strategist Matt Terrill. According to polls, three-quarters of Republicans are convinced that Trump actually won on November 3. And that probably won’t change anytime soon.
Trump needs his fans
Terrill, the former chief of staff for Republican Senator Marco Rubio, is convinced that the Republican Party needs these Trump fans if it wants to win elections in the future. And Trump needs his fans too. Therefore, he will not retire to private life.
Boston College political science professor David Hopkins also hopes Donald Trump will remain the dominant figure in the Republican Party. There he has a lot of support. Because the electoral results were much better than what was feared for the party, despite the loss of the White House.
Symptom of changes
Donald Trump opened up new electoral segments for the party, from which many Republican politicians would have benefited. Furthermore, the Hopkins party investigator believes that Trump’s rise has often been misunderstood by his opponents.
Trump did not hijack the Republican Party. It is much more a symptom of the changes that had already taken place at the base of the party.
Hopkins is convinced that these changes include the growing influence of the conservative media. The uncompromising style of right-wing partisan talk radios, television stations, and online platforms are increasingly shaping the worldview of the Republican electorate and their expectations of their politicians. And Trump, more of a media star than a politician, lived up to these expectations.
Trump’s style is copied
Many Republican politicians have now embraced Trump’s political style. In this case, the focus is not on the specific government work, but on the self-portrait in the media.
In terms of content, Donald Trump didn’t change the Republican Party much, with the exception of trade policy. Here, however, he recognized even before the establishment of the party that the electorate now wanted more protectionism. Or “America first,” as political scientist David Hopkins explains.
In short, it is not clear at the moment who or what could dissuade Republicans from their Trump course. Even after the electoral defeat of Donald Trump, there is no significant opposition within the party. Partly out of conviction, partly out of fear. This means that there can be no new beginning or generational change in the party. Because with Trump there is no place in the spotlight.
