Donald Trump is the worst president in US history. Tonight (AEDT), Americans have an opportunity to terminate his chaotic, dysfunctional, divisive, dangerous and degraded administration. While Trump might yet achieve another remarkable election victory, the odds are against him. Americans, we can hope, are wise enough to recognise it is time to bring the curtain down on The Trump Show.
Trump has debased the office of president, divided rather than united the country, and diminished the standing of the US overseas. He has lied thousands of times, deliberately downplayed the threat of COVID-19, withheld aid to Ukraine unless Kiev investigated Joe Biden’s family, and used the presidency to enrich his businesses. He deserved to be impeached.
Nobody should excuse Trump’s unhinged rhetoric or deranged tweets as merely a sideshow. This behaviour should not be normalised. Words matter. Trump boasted about sexually assaulting women with his “grab ’em by the pussy” remark. He called dead American soldiers “losers” and “suckers”. He accused Barack Obama of being “corrupt” and said he should be “locked up”. All this is indefensible.
It underscores Trump’s authoritarian instincts. He admires totalitarians such as Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. He undermines institutions and alliances. He calls the media “the enemy of the people”. He declares the election “rigged”. He supports voter suppression and intimidation tactics. He talks about not accepting the election result and governing beyond the two-term constitutional limit.
There has never been a more chaotic White House. Trump has cycled through more cabinet members and staff than any other president. He is totally inept at running the executive government. It is telling that almost all of those who were fired or quit have turned on Trump and said he is not up to the job. Trump’s defenders once argued that even if you disliked Trump, you could trust the people around him. Well, their verdict has been damning.
Trump has no plan for a second term. The Republican National Convention did not adopt a new platform this year. Trump has almost destroyed the Grand Old Party of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and the Bushes. It has become a cult of personality. It is a party of grievances, cultural anxiety and economic insecurity. It has become a haven for white supremacists, xenophobes, protectionists, isolationists and conspiracy theorists.
It is revealing that George W. Bush has not endorsed Trump. Mitt Romney, who courageously voted for impeachment, did not vote for Trump. John McCain’s widow, Cindy, endorsed Biden. In 2016, George H.W. Bush voted for Hillary Clinton. Many Republican governors, congressmen and women, and cabinet members have endorsed Biden. They are sick of the narcissism, malice, dishonesty, ignorance and incompetence.
Like almost any presidential candidate, Biden has flaws. He would be the oldest president. He is not as sharp as he was. But he is lean and fit, and his debate performances showed no cognitive decline. This argument that Biden’s gaffes or stumbles — largely due to his stutter — disqualify him is absurd given Trump’s crazy rantings. And the suggestion Biden has profited from his son’s questionable business dealings has been debunked by The Wall Street Journal.
Biden’s central appeal is to restore normality to the presidency. He campaigns on rebuilding respect for the US abroad and rebuilding traditional alliances. He promises to bring Americans together. He feels compelled to say he will abide by the law and the constitution. He is experienced. He is a moderate centrist who can work across the political divide. He has united Democrats and built a broad coalition of voter support. Biden is a man of compassion, decency and integrity. He is a safe choice for president.
The biggest election issue is COVID-19. Trump’s handling of the pandemic has been the worst of any comparable advanced economy. He said the virus was contained and would go away quickly, then delayed acting, and when he did finally act, his response was catastrophic. He attacked lockdowns, lampooned mask-wearing and ridiculed social distancing. He embraced unproven medical treatments, suggested injecting bleach and endorsed advice from dubious medical sources.
Most voters believe Trump would not have become infected with the virus if he had taken it more seriously. He has endangered the lives of many Americans. White House gatherings have become superspreader events. A study by Stanford University estimated that 30,000 people have become infected and 700 have died as a result of just 18 Trump rallies. There is no other conclusion: Trump’s rallies are killing people.
Trump is well behind Biden and the odds are he is headed for defeat. None of this should come as a surprise given his utterly disastrous presidency. He has never been a popular president. Most Americans think the country is on the wrong track. Back in February, I wrote that Trump was vulnerable and his re-election was far from assured. Yet Trump would be the first president in almost 30 years not to be re-elected.
Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush are the only presidents since 1932 to win an election and serve a full term but not be re-elected. But Carter and Bush were both decent men and esteem for them has only risen since they left the White House. In sharp contrast, Trump is loathed by most Americans, he has violated presidential norms and conventions, and his policy failures are manifest.
Franklin D. Roosevelt — the greatest president of the 20th century — said the presidency was “pre-eminently a place of moral leadership”.
Trump is not the first president to fail this test but his collective failures dwarf all others. The choice for Americans is clear. They should elect Biden and send Trump to the dustbin of history. It’s the first step towards making America great again.
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