President-elect Donald Trump is enjoying his first honeymoon since entering politics nearly a decade ago. a CBS News Poll It turns out that a majority approve of President Trump's handling of the transition process. Voters are excited or optimistic about what he will do as president.
Winning a second term often gives presidents courage. For example, after Richard Nixon was reelected in 1972; 67 percent recognized his performance.
However, President Nixon's honeymoon did not last long. The infiltration of the Democratic National Committee took place several months ago, and the cover-up was well advanced by the time he began his second term. The seeds of Nixon's political destruction had already been sown. By the time he left the office 24 percent Many of the people supported him.
Immediately after his landslide victory in 1972, Nixon demanded: immediate resignation members of his cabinet and staff; The standard he set for future employment during his second term could be summed up in one word: loyalty.
The respect paid to Nixon by his staff and cabinet members proved problematic. Few argued to Nixon that the Watergate break-in was wrong, or that the Justice Department should investigate the break-in alone.
Nixon and Trump formed a society of mutual admiration. After appearing in 1987, phil donahue show, Nixon wrote a letter to Trump. His wife, Pat, said she thought Trump's actions were “amazing.” According to foresight, Mr. Nixon also added“She is a political expert and predicts that if you decide to run for office, you will win!”
It's no wonder these two Simpatico presidents feel so close. john dean observed The two men “feeded off the waves of each other's personalities…These two have authoritarian personalities, and they naturally feel a kinship.”
Like Nixon, Trump incites fear. However, deep down inside, I am filled with anxiety. It was Trump's anxiety about facing Joe Biden in 2020 that led to the first impeachment. After telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to do his thing. “Good feeling” The House of Representatives has launched an impeachment inquiry following the revelations of Biden's son Hunter. At the time, polls showed Biden leading Trump. 48% to 41%.
Trump's fear of defeat led to his second impeachment in office. incited a riot at the U.S. Capitol This is to prevent Joe Biden from becoming president. After all, “defeat” is trump brand.
After President Nixon resigned, political scientists began to examine presidential personality as a predictor of performance. The most prominent of these studies was that of James David Barber. book Regarding the president's personality, whose theory It continues to be taught in many university classrooms.
For Barber, the president most worrisome is that heactive negative,” whose activities “He has an obsessive nature, as if the man is trying to make up for something. He seems ambitious, striving to the top, seeking power. 's posture is aggressive and he has persistent problems controlling his aggressive emotions.'' President Trump typifies this description.
barber list Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Nixon are typical examples of this active negative persona. Note that none of these regimes ended well.
Trump is the reincarnation of an active negative president. as a barber I wroteAn active-negative president “keeps coming back to himself, his problems, how he's doing, as if he's looking at himself forever.”
Bill Clinton describes Trump as “weak and right” and the candidate who defeated Joe Biden as “strong and wrong.” But the reality is that Trump is weak, lacking confidence, and continues to seek approval. And his paranoia allows him to see enemies everywhere.
In this respect, Mr. Trump has much in common with Mr. Nixon. In 1990, Nixon wrote another letter to Trump after a New York developer wrote in. taj mahal casino The company, located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was on the verge of bankruptcy. In honor of President Trump, nixon wrote“I know nothing about the intricacies of your company, but the massive media attack on your company is driving me over the edge!”
The character flaws that Nixon and Trump share led to self-inflicted harm on both presidents. After leaving the White House in 1974, Nixon told himself A moment of candor in public“Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you will not win unless you hate them, and you will destroy yourself.”
Like Nixon, Trump is a man obsessed with hatred for his supposed enemies. in meet the press President Trump said in an interview that members of the House Select Committee that investigated the Capitol riotshould go to jailThe article states that President Trump is eyeing former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). real social posts The former Wyoming congressman said he likely violated “numerous federal laws” that “should be investigated by the FBI.”
Threat of massive prosecution forces Biden to consider Issuance of pre-emptive amnesty To those targeted by President Trump.
Kash Patel, President Trump's nominee to head the FBI, has a list of enemies reminiscent of President Nixon's famous list. enemy list. It consists of 60 people extensive From Lloyd Austin to alexander vindmanwhich, Patel argues, is an endless list of people who make up “.deep state”, demonstrating his stance against Trump. This reflects the revenge and obedience that have characterized President Trump's second term.
What Americans voted for in 2024 was not retaliation. Just as the public denounced Watergate as an illegal act of political vendetta, President Trump will face public wrath if he embarks on a campaign of revenge and retaliation.
As with Nixon, the problems with Trump's second term do not originate with Democrats. Rather, the seeds of his downfall lie within his flawed personality.
Prediction for 2025: Difficult times ahead.
john kenneth white Professor Emeritus of The Catholic University of America. His latest book is titled “Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism.”
