With Donald Trump’s re-election bid inching closer to the November 3 vote, many political commentators are starting to wonder if the sitting President’s political goose is cooked.
My answer remains the same, “no.”
Trump’s road to a second presidential term originally looked to be paved in gold. CNN business analyst Shannon Liao referred to a National Association for Business Economics survey on January 27, which noted that “67 per cent of respondents expect America’s gross domestic product — the most complete measure of the nation’s economy — to grow by 1.1-2 per cent this year. A growing number of respondents… expect even higher growth of up to 3 per cent.”
The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement was formally signed on January 16, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement, one of the big issues that Trump wanted to get done in office. He took a strong stance against the tyrannical Iranian government. He was acquitted on both articles of impeachment in the GOP-controlled Senate on February 5. He was well on his way to being overwhelmingly re-nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, too.
Then came coronavirus.
Trump’s message has been mixed. He went from saying in a January 22 CNBC interview, “It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control,” to shutting down most international flights and the Canada-US border. His daily press conferences started off smoothly, but evolved into queries about his working relationship with Dr. Anthony Fauci and never-ending battles with the media and political foes. His comment that disinfectants could be “injected” to help clean out the coronavirus raised armies of eyebrows. Last month’s revelation that he took hydroxychloroquine for two weeks, which is used for lupus and arthritis but hasn’t been approved for Covid-19 treatment, caused many heads to explode.
The US currently has more than 1.85 million active Covid-19 cases, and over 106,000 deaths. No other country is even close to these figures.
The senseless death of George Floyd soon followed. The 46-year-old African American security guard and ex-high school football star had reportedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a convenience store in Minneapolis. Police were called in, and four officers were ultimately involved.
Video showed that Floyd didn’t fight back or resist arrest. Yet, he was pinned to the ground like a violent criminal, and police officer Derek Chauvin placed a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Although Floyd said he couldn’t breathe on 16 separate occasions, and called out for his mother, Chauvin wouldn’t budge. Floyd eventually passed out, and was later pronounced dead in the Hennepin County Medical Center emergency room. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
This incident sent shockwaves around the world. It was another example of police brutality against the black community (and reminiscent of the 2014 death of Eric Garner at the hands of New York City police.) The ensuing protest in Minneapolis caused property destruction, violence, looting and rioting that made the city look like a war zone.
This scene has been duplicated in more than 100 US cities over the past week, and reached the UK, Canada and other countries.
Trump has spoken out against Floyd’s grisly murder, calling it a “very sad and tragic death.” He seems to be as furious as most Americans, although some of his tweets and comments have been predictably controversial in nature.
His frustration has also been motivated by other factors. He believes the inaction of (mostly) Democratic mayors and governors against these protests has made the situation worse. He directly blames the radical left-wing Antifa movement for the growing violence on the streets, and wants to designate it a terrorist organisation. He’s concerned the rioting could lead to further delays in reopening the shattered US economy, which has already stalled due to Covid-19.
This led Trump to make a stunning declaration on Monday. He proclaimed himself the “president of law and order,” and declared the protests an act of “domestic terrorism.” He would dispatch “thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel, and law enforcement officers” to quell the protests. Moreover, “if a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.”
Some observers felt this was a sign Trump meant business, after being repeatedly accused of using the White House as a bunker. Others, like CNN host Don Lemon, claimed “we are teetering on a dictatorship.”
Can this divisive US President survive these two difficult ordeals? Yes.
Trump didn’t initiate Covid-19, or the George Floyd protests, in spite of what his critics suggest. His handling of both issues will ultimately be judged by voters, but each one is ongoing. To suggest early June poll numbers will remain consistent indicators of Trump’s electoral fortunes for the next five months is a ludicrous ideas.
Meanwhile, his personal approval numbers have been respectable. Since Gallup started studying presidential approval ratings in 1937, Trump is the only person to have held the Oval Office without reaching 50 per cent. He’s attained 49 per cent on several occasions, including a significant chunk of 2020.
In the most recent Gallup survey (May 1-13, 2000), Trump had a 49 per cent approval rating, with 48 per cent opposed. Considering that Trump’s first term approval rating average is 40 per cent, he’s much further ahead of the curve than opponents have suggested. If this momentum continues to grow after the Floyd protests, it will aid his re-election bid.
Trump will be running against the former Vice-President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, in November. Much like Hillary Clinton in 2016, Biden brings an enormous amount of political baggage and controversy to the table. While he’s currently leading head-to-head polls against Trump, these have not proven to be historically reliable. Otherwise, America would have elected its first female President four years ago.
The violence and looting in US cities seems to have decreased during the past two nights. Maybe the President’s strong stance and tough language is succeeding.
Trump’s second presidential term therefore still looks like a very distinct possibility. He may end up being a political cat with nine lives, with a few still to spare.
"term" - Google News
June 04, 2020 at 07:05PM
https://ift.tt/3gSdN8m
Trump could still win a second term - TheArticle
"term" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35lXs52
https://ift.tt/2L1ho5r
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Trump could still win a second term - TheArticle"
Post a Comment