The rise of Donald Trump brought with it a new, frightening iteration of populism that has since taken hold among many voters. It is called “Trumpism” and it represents a Pandora’s box of evils for liberal democracies around the world.
If you heard anything about Trump during his presidency, chances are good that you had come across his name again and again whenever someone started talking about how our then President had given voice to so-called “alt-right” ideals, white supremacy, neo-fascism, nativism, and xenophobia.
The first thing most people think about when they hear the word “Trumpism” is how it presents an existential threat to our democracy. That is because there are good reasons why the term describes what it does.
What is Trumpism?
Trumpism is a complex and multi-faceted concept that has had significant effects on domestic politics, international relations, and the media.
Donald Trump’s presidency had a profound impact on the American political landscape. Trumpism, a term coined to describe the former president’s unorthodox and often incendiary political style, has disrupted long-standing expectations of how a president should communicate and interact with Congress, the media, and the public.
Remember when he would Tweet something crazy and it was shocking? It didn’t take very long for his antics to lose their shock value. He had to step it up and do something even more outrageous to “shock” us, until eventually everything he did seemed normal. That was the worst thing he did to society, in my opinion. We now don’t see rude, crude, or hateful speech as all that shocking, and that is not good for civil society!
It also resulted in a polarization of the American public along with a decline in civility between political opponents. According to RM Blum and CS Parker (2019), “Trumpism is an opportunistic political style that both reflects and amplifies the political divisions in the country”. Trumpism was characterized by an emphasis on loyalty to the president and his agenda, a rejection of basic facts, and a propensity to attack opponents and the media.
This led to a decline in public trust in the government and a rise in partisan politics. It also created an environment where the president’s personal interests often superseded the public good. This caused a decline in the effectiveness of the government, as decisions were made without consideration of the long-term implications. Trumpism had a lasting impact on American domestic politics, and its effects will likely continue to be felt for years to come.
Donald Trump’s election and subsequent presidency also had a profound and lasting effect on international relations.
As Blum and Parker pointed out in their 2019 Perspectives on Politics article, Trump’s foreign policy had been characterized by a new type of “Trumpism.” This type is characterized by “America First” principles, a rejection of international agreements, and an aggressive stance towards other countries and international organizations.
This had a major impact on our international relationships, leading to a decrease in international cooperation and trust, increased economic and political tensions, and a heightened sense of insecurity in certain parts of the world.
Trump’s policies also had a negative effect on global efforts to tackle climate change, as the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement and had taken a more hostile stance towards environmental regulations.
Overall, Trumpism resulted in a more fractured and unstable world order.
The role of the media in shaping the debate over Trumpism has been significant.
According to JBS Okoye, “in the age of Trump, the media had taken on an increasingly influential role in the public discourse” (Okoye, 2022). This is evident in the way that the media had framed the debate over Trumpism, which had a powerful effect on public opinion.
For example, the media had been largely responsible for how the public perceived Donald Trump and his policies, as media coverage tended to focus on the more controversial aspects of his presidency.
Furthermore, the media had been a major factor in the way the public understood the issues and policies associated with the phenomena, which had been framed as a polarizing and divisive ideology.
The media’s role in shaping the debate over Trumpism has been further demonstrated by the fact that it had often been the source of information for the public, thus allowing it to shape the discourse in a particular direction. In this way, the media played an important role in the debate over it, as it had been responsible for the way the public perceived and understood it.
To recap…
Trumpism is a political ideology and style developed by President Donald J. Trump that emphasizes strong populism, a sense of economic nationalism and a focus on industry, restrictive immigration policies and traditional values.
Trump made it clear that his agenda was focused on a “America First” ideology of economic protectionism, opposed to a globally interconnected, politically and economically liberal landscape.
The implications of Trumpism are far reaching both domestically and internationally and have changed the course of world politics and economic systems.
Ultimately, it is a unique political movement in modern times and its effects will continue to be felt for generations to come.
Works cited
RM Blum., CS Parker.”Trump-ing foreign affairs: Status threat and foreign policy preferences on the right.”https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/trumping-foreign-affairs-status-threat-and-foreign-policy-preferences-on-the-right/2D9F0F7AF19A289242BEBB25BFB72B4F
RM Blum., CS Parker.”Trump-ing foreign affairs: Status threat and foreign policy preferences on the right.”https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/trumping-foreign-affairs-status-threat-and-foreign-policy-preferences-on-the-right/2D9F0F7AF19A289242BEBB25BFB72B4F
JBS Okoye.”Mediated representation of Middle Eastern and African migrants in UK and US press in the Wake of Brexit and Trumpism.”https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1464884920984693
