“What do you think Donald Trump would think of Winston Churchill?”
This out-of-the-blue question was asked the other day at Churchill's home in Chartwell, just outside London, where I was speaking about the former British Prime Minister's relationships with Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower in the 1940s and 1950s. I did.
Although I was reluctant to discuss American politics in such a historic setting, I hesitantly replied that President Trump had a bust of Churchill prominently displayed in the Oval Office throughout his previous term. .
Churchill's bulldog face and never-give-up tenacity were often seen over the president's left shoulder in photographs and television coverage. I said that the presence of the bust did show President Trump's admiration for Britain's wartime leader, and then learned that the bust would be reinstated in the president-elect's office after Inauguration Day in January.
Once that was settled, it seemed appropriate (at least to me) to consider the comparison from the opposite perspective. “Perhaps it is more important here at Chartwell to consider what Churchill thinks of Mr. Trump,” I suggested.
I don't mean to sound pedantic, but Churchill's dedication to democracy guided his life, and he fought for it in World War I and was threatened by the Nazis in World War II. He explained that he was happy to lead the island.
During his political career, which spanned more than 60 years, Churchill stood as a candidate in 21 parliamentary elections for seats in the House of Commons. He won 16 times but lost in 5 others.
Despite personal and party setbacks, Churchill continued to return to the democratic stage with unwavering determination. In fact, in what may seem like an amusing irony given Churchill's legendary penchant for alcoholic beverages, in 1922 Churchill lost to Edwin Scrimgeour, a temperance candidate representing the Scottish Prohibition Party. Ta.
The election was the first of three consecutive defeats for Churchill, whose campaign life was limited by an acute appendicitis that required surgery. Looking back many years later, he wrote“In a blink of an eye, I realized there were no offices, no seats, no parties, no appendices.”
Win or lose, Churchill's motto was “Trust the people.” He always knew there would be elections in the future. He will stand – we Americans, more accurately, run – and compete again.
As I pointed out in Chartwell, democracies always produce more losers than winners. Voters decide who will lead and who will govern. What people say matters and deserves collective trust. As tactfully as I could, I questioned President Trump's adherence to that idea.
Churchill devoted much of his 90 years of life to voting rights in a free society. His unyielding dedication is worth remembering at this time. 150th anniversary of his global expansion He helped me get into shape.
Robert Schmuhl is professor emeritus of American studies and journalism at the University of Notre Dame and author of Mr. Schmuhl. Churchill in the White House: The untold story of one prime minister and two presidents. ”
