No doubt Donald Trump was an outsider, unconventional, unorthodox and inexperienced Presidential candidate. He was able to garner support by attacking the establishment and status quo in America. He had specifically targeted white blue-collar, working-class, lower middle class voters who were left behind, facing unemployment and financial hardships. Their factories and coal mines had closed because of globalisation. They were facing hopelessness and frustration.
Donald Trump was their knight in shining armour who had come to rescue them. He echoed their voice by saying he will impose immigration control by sending 11 million illegal Mexicans back home, Moslems will be restricted to come to American and will be subjected to strict scrutiny and checks those wanting to come to America, he would abrogate trade agreements signed by the American government, so jobs to come to America and not go to other countries. He coined attractive slogans like ‘ America First’, ‘Will make America Great again’ ‘Will build a wall on the Mexican border’ and ‘Jobs, Jobs Jobs’ this resonated with forgotten voters. They found they champion who was not a politician but a seasoned businessman who talked their language and would improve their lot.
Previously he had decimated 16 Republican heavyweights in the Primaries, they fell like dominoes. That signalled something new was happening. Again in the Presidential race he was behind Hilary Clinton in the polls, but Hilary’s bandwagon was derailed 11 days before the election by James B. Comey the FBI Director by announcing that he re-opened the investigation on the emails of Hilary Clinton, on tops of that Julian Assange of WikiLeaks said he would release further leaks of Hilary’s emails.
This was a tumultuous, unprecedented, vicious, ugly, acrimonious and dirty Presidential election. Since 1776 there has not been so much vitriol and personal attacks by the candidates, it really a historic and unprecedented confrontation.
In any other country after what Donald Trump had said about women, Mexicans, Latinos, Moslems, Disabled people, Immigrants, the establishment, his opponent and media, he would have been disqualified to stand for the election. Moreover he has held no elected office before. All he did was host a TV reality show and was a property developer. Yet he got elected as the President of America. As they say, ‘Only in America’.
Now it has to be seen, after getting into office will he be able to keep promises given to the have-nots or will he wriggle out of it.
Baldev Sharma
Harrow
