Analysis
The iron heel falls on the United States
Four years after inciting his followers to storm the Capitol, Americans rewarded the author of the first coup attempt in the country's history with a result that went beyond the Trump campaign's own wildest expectations.
In an unstoppable march, Donald Trump took one after another of the key states in his return to the White House. The announcement of his victory in Pennsylvania effectively removed all of Kamala Harris’s remaining paths to defeat him.
Shortly afterwards, Donald Trump took the stage at the convention center in Palm Beach, Florida, surrounded by his entire family, Vice President-elect Vance and party higher-ups, over loud chants of “U-S-A.”
“Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason. And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness.” he said. “And every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future, every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”
Never shy to engage in hyperbole, Trump described the election result as an “unprecedented mandate”; but the result at the polls on Tuesday was certainly a momentous one.
Four years after inciting his followers to storm the Capitol, Americans rewarded the author of the first coup attempt in the country's history with a result that went beyond the Trump campaign's own wildest expectations.
Now, a new historical chapter opens up with consequences that are still unknown, both for the United States and for the rest of the world.
Donald Trump will take office with a Republican Senate and possibly also a Republican House. It was the first time a Republican president has won the popular vote — and by a wide margin at that — since George Bush in 2004.
Not to mention the supermajority on the Supreme Court, which preemptively granted him full immunity from prosecution – something without precedent in constitutional law.
In the coming presidential term, one can hardly see what limits or restraints there would be on his authority.
This time, his administration will be more ruthless, more organized, more decisive and more efficient in implementing a radical program, drawn up by the fundamentalist Heritage Foundation as “Project 2025,” to remake America in the image of the integralist and radical conservative currents that fuel the MAGA movement. “The promises made will be kept,” Trump added from the stage. For some, for example the 12 million undocumented immigrants he has repeatedly promised he would deport, that sounded more like a blunt threat than a promise.
But there are many other goals in his 2025 program as well, such as a pardon for the 800 or so people convicted of the January 6 insurrection (while the trials against him will almost certainly no longer go ahead).
States are to be given absolute discretion to regulate abortions (including state monitoring of pregnancies). He has also said that he would quickly install loyalists in every key position in the state apparatus, use the Department of Justice to prosecute political and personal enemies, and use the army to quell protests.
To manage “the greatest comeback in history,” Trump went to extremes and radicalized his rhetoric in his speeches. While Harris tried to run to the center, he did the exact opposite, managing to mine previously unknown reservoirs of anger and resentment.
His campaign was not so based on policies as on “gut feeling,” harnessing the basest and most divisive instincts to rally the base around “culture wars” and emotional wars.
Against the backdrop of an ongoing genocide, Trump took back the White House by managing to make transgender kids in schools into a primary issue.
In recent months, Europe has held its breath over the prospect of post-fascist and national-populist comebacks in France and Germany.
Now, the United States “fell” instead, and it would be truly naïve to underestimate the planet-wide consequences.
It is not just about the possible tariff war looming, or the likely U-turn on the climate crisis. The list of invited guests last night at Mar A Lago, including Nigel Farage and Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the former Brazilian president, was a preview of the global alliances that will mark the second Trump presidency.
Milei, Putin, Bin Salman and Netanyahu all breathe easier from having their preferred counterpart in the Oval Office.
The same goes for the unprecedented array of plutocrats who have aligned themselves with him, collectively contributing over a billion dollars to his campaign.
Also present in Florida on Tuesday night was, of course, Elon Musk, the main representative of the most militant faction of digital capitalism, who now has his own man in the administration: Vice President Vance, just one step away from the presidency.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/il-tallone-di-ferro-sugli-stati-uniti on 2024-11-07