When billionaire retail tycoon and reality TV star Donald Trump announced his intention to stand for the Republican presidential nomination back in June 2015, few thought that he’d be the front-runner by the time October came around. But there he is, sitting at the top of the pile in the polls, causing a scene with his bold, often brash anti-Washington agenda.
So why has he done so well up to this point? Well first of all, it’s fair to say that he’s different from your usual career presidential candidate. Trump simply doesn’t hold back, whether it’s live tweeting his outrageous reactions to the Democratic debate or offending the whole of Mexico with a speech bordering on racist. Whether or not Americans agree with his opinions is something they will decide later, but for now it’s enough that, before the Republican primaries and caucuses next year, Trump has got himself enough media attention to be front runner.
With a series of comments bordering on outrageous, Trump has distanced himself from the career politicians who are losing the trust of the population. With a strong personality, he’s had the ability to cut through American politics, a shallow world of sound bites and instant judgments. His appeal has been boosted by his already-established reputation as a TV personality and respected businessman. Despite never having held public office, he commands respect on issues relating to business and the economy, purely because he’s seen to have experience and success in those fields. But although his odds of winning the election are higher than one might expect, assuming his fast start will translate into votes is another thing entirely.
So what about the points against? Well for many, Trump lacks the presence of mind and statesmanlike persona usually associated with American presidents. This has been borne out through a number of strange and controversial statements over the course of his campaign so far. As well as publicly making sexist remarks about a Fox news interviewer he has pledged to make Mexico pay to build a wall along the border and been shown to be completely ignorant on issues of foreign policy. Amid the bold rhetoric Trump has been unmasked to know little, if nothing at all, about America’s enemies in the Middle East, while he has also been fooled into retweeting an image of UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who he thought was somebody’s dad considering voting Trump. This absence of knowledge undermines Trump’s calls to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate.
Amongst all the uproar, bold claims and controversial statements, one thing that Donald Trump is yet to do is really show where he stands on issues close to many Republicans. It could well be that in time they realise that he is simply too left wing. He’s not a conservative. Whether it’s his pro-abortion views or calls for rises in taxes, his ideology is all set to clash with those from whom he is seeking support.
With all that said, it may turn out that Trump’s downfall won’t even be of his own making; as unlikely as that sounds. With Ben Carson catching up quickly and threatening to take the lead in the polls, the property tycoon could soon find himself falling in the polls and out of the spotlight completely.
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Guest Author Bio
Malek Murison
Malek Murison is a freelance writer who has written for various publications. You can read more of his work here.
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