The Republican Party and Trump’s Return

Al-Arab, London, March 6

After six weeks of silence, former US President Donald Trump left his residence in Florida to deliver the keynote address at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (or CPAC for short). CPAC is a gathering of right-wing activists and elected officials discussing the conservative agendas of the United States and the Republican Party. Trump’s appearance was the highlight of this three-day event. In his speech, Trump spoke at length about all the topics he stressed throughout his presidency in the White House, including the post-election phase after losing the presidency to Joe Biden. His speech was a mixture of pride, grievance, insistence that he had won the last election, and a strong desire for revenge against those Republicans who voted for his second impeachment. Trump appeared to be the same man the world has come to know over the past four years: arrogant, grudging, showing no remorse and seeking revenge. He did not refer to the tragic death of citizens due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nor did he express sympathy for the millions of Americans who suffered from its economic repercussions. On the contrary, he sought to brag that the credit for the rapid development of several vaccines against the virus was owed to him. During his long speech, Trump repeatedly focused on his belief that the elections were stolen by “Democrats,” and that he was the real winner. Most of his supporters still believe this myth, and this was a key factor that contributed to the January 6 violent attack launched by Trump supporters on Congress. It is striking here that Trump did not acknowledge at any stage of his speech the impact of the riot and his responsibility for inciting it. Instead, he listed the names of those Republicans who voted against him in his second impeachment trial. Each of these names was greeted with whistles and booing from the crowd. Trump’s anger has been particularly acute in denouncing Liz Cheney, who is the third most prominent leader in the Republican Party in the House of Representatives. For the Republican Party, Trump’s appearance at CPAC was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, Trump emphasized that he does not intend to establish a third party in order to challenge the Republican establishment. Needless to say, a third party would represent a disastrous scenario for the Republicans, given that it would divide the conservative vote and ensure that the Democrats retain control of the White House and the two branches of Congress. On the one hand, Trump’s survival in the Republican Party guarantees that he will be its leader. This makes it very difficult for anyone to challenge him and compete against him, unless he himself supports his successor, in case he decides not to run again for the presidential elections in 2024. But for many moderate Republicans, Trump’s continued dominance of the party is a recipe for disaster. Trump did not have any message to the party that included a serious political agenda to challenge Democrats, other than continuing to assert that the electoral system is rigged and that it must be reformed by adopting tougher measures to eliminate electoral fraud. Michael Gerson, the revered and respected former President George W. Bush’s speechwriter, wrote in the Washington Post after the CPAC conference: “The party has rapidly repositioned itself as a tool for white protest and grievance. Trump refuses to denounce the racists within his ranks, and it seems that his main legislative agenda has been reduced to curbing the vote of minorities.” Indeed, Gerson’s views are shared by many who believe that focusing on white grievances guarantees the loss of many independent voices, which are essential if the Republican Party wishes to restore power. – Geoffrey Kemp (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)