The Republican Party, under the influence of Donald Trump, has undergone a complete transformation. This was evident in the recent debate and Trump’s surrender to Georgia authorities. The atmosphere was a mix of “American carnage” and a sense of being wronged.
The other candidates vying for the GOP presidential nomination outdid each other in painting a picture of the United States as a nightmarish dystopia. It was disheartening to hear businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, with his ignorant remarks, claim that it is not a good time for America.
Meanwhile, those who tuned in to the online counterprogramming featuring Trump witnessed him being provoked by Tucker Carlson to embrace the idea of a second civil war. To Carlson’s disappointment, Trump chose not to take the bait. He no longer needs to sell the notion of an impending apocalypse because his party has already bought into it.
The interview was prerecorded, allowing Trump to stage his surrender at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta for maximum television coverage. His aim was to portray himself as a hero persecuted by Democrats and the so-called deep state, and to rally GOP support.
In the past, having even one criminal trial would have disqualified a presidential candidate from either party. Despite facing serious legal risks, Republicans only see a risk for candidates like Asa Hutchinson and Chris Christie, who openly condemn Trump’s alleged crimes.
However, Trump has changed the way his supporters perceive reality. Through his distorted lens, the nation was in utter chaos before he took office, plagued by crime, drugs, and poverty; threatened by immigrants and scorned by adversaries. “This American carnage stops right here and right now,” he proclaimed in his inaugural address.
According to Trump’s narrative, everything was great during his presidency, but with Joe Biden taking office after a “rigged” election, the country has fallen apart again. And now, there is an additional threat: the “weaponization” of justice. It is unclear whether the entire system is supposed to be corrupt or just the prosecutors and courts seeking to hold Trump accountable.
None of this is objectively true, but a large portion of the GOP base believes it, making it politically true within the party.
Except for Ramaswamy, who presents himself as even more Trump-like than Trump, the candidates on the debate stage can be considered mainstream Republicans. Only Hutchinson stood up for the integrity of the justice system. Others, such as Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott, echoed the notion of the justice system being “weaponized.” Christie acknowledged the possibility of Trump being unfairly prosecuted but focused more on his general conduct making him unfit for the presidency.
Even when former Vice President Mike Pence argued against the need for a “new national identity” since the country already has a strong one, he was met with boos.
The tone set by Fox News, the host network, was dark, displaying dysfunction and despair. It ultimately led to the controversial right-wing anthem, “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Republican debates used to be a celebration of American greatness, but now they consist of grievances and complaints about the state of the nation.
DeSantis, trailing far behind Trump in GOP polls, made a passionate pledge to send U.S. troops into Mexico to stop the flow of illegal drugs, which would be an act of war. Ramaswamy, in third place, declared that the climate change agenda is a hoax and advocated for drilling, fracking, burning coal, and unleashing nuclear power. Scott and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, considered potential candidates who could gain support from independents, both joined in the culture-war attack on transgender Americans.
This is the Republican Party that Trump has created. To save the GOP, voters need to deliver a crushing defeat in 2024.
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