At the Conservative Political Action Committee, Donald Trump stated he would not be forming a new party. This is due to his belief that it would split the Republican vote, resulting in an easier Democrat win, and said the GOP needed to “unite”.
The former President continued to claim that he won the 2020 US election and hinted at running for a third time in 2024. Yet, as Anthony Zurcher reported, only 50% of CPAC attendees said that they would vote for him in 2024, which suggests his chance at a win is low, despite his still strong influence over the party. The Guardian wrote of his role as “a vote loser” for the Republicans and this would be devastating to their party. However, Even if he does not win, the voters that believe in what he says will still remain as they do after the 2020 election.
Therefore, the issue is not whether or not he breaks from the Republican party or can win another election, but the implications that it will have on the future of US politics. Politicians such as Trump allow extremism to breed. This was seen vividly on January 6, when, through saying the election was stolen, Trump managed to mobilise his followers with deadly results. This idolisation of politicians is certainly not new; however, Trump’s utilisation of it without consequences is dangerous to the democracy that the US claims to have. The issue is not just in whether he may next run, but the effect of his actions on the future US politics as it allows for a lack of accountability for politicians’ actions, and the steady move further right in US politics rather than towards progressive policies.
Written by Anna Male
Artwork by Delicia
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