Donald Trump’s political career: seriously, is it all a joke?

By: Julia Wengier | Editor in Chief

October 3, 2019

President Trump has baffled the nation ever since his announcement to run for the presidency. To many Americans, it was unthinkable and comical. Clearly, the nation figured, this was not going to go far. With his ridiculous background as a billionaire reality TV show star, his disgusting actions and words, and his lack of basic “presidential” traits, Trump’s campaign was sure to be doomed. But he soon grew popular among Republican voters, as did his hateful messages. And then, to the horror of many, he won the presidency.

Since Trump assumed office in 2017, it seems as if he has done everything in his power to be hated and essentially kicked out of the political arena. Unfortunately for everyone, his efforts were not enough. For some reason, one that has more tragic than comical implications, Trump supporters will stand behind him no matter what. Like Trump said himself, he “could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and [he] wouldn’t lose any voters, okay? It’s, like, incredible.”

The idea that Trump has been going out of his way to come up with unforgivable actions in order to test his personal limits sounds preposterous at first…but on second thought, it almost makes more sense than if these actions were truly his best behavior.

President Trump, for example, notoriously mocked a disabled reporter during his campaign, an action that would throw almost any other candidate out of the running immediately. He was exposed in leaked footage of his discussion of sexual assault on women. He openly said he could shoot someone with no consequences, implicitly yet directly stating he is above both civic and moral law. He acted as a school bully, calling his political opponents names like “nasty woman,” “The Nutty Professor” and “Lyin’ Ted.” He called neo-Nazi white supremacists “very fine people.” He has been accused of sexual misconduct by 24 different women, and is tied to the Jeffrey Epstein minor sex trafficking case. He is responsible for separation of families at the border, for the inhumane treatment of immigrants, and for the six child deaths in U.S. custody. He asked the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden, only one day after Mueller’s testimony. He admits not only to what was said in the call that is getting him impeached, but he is backing it up as a justifiable action, and he says he will ask China the same. He proposed not only the wall bordering Mexico, but a moat of snakes and alligators, as well as the idea of shooting migrants in the legs to slow them down.

This list goes on (forever). He is infinitely racist, sexist, anti-LGBT, anti-media. He passes on lies as truth, and discredits truth as “fake news.” He proposes policy that is radical to a point of satire, almost testing his limits. If Trump could not figure out how not to win the presidency (he seemed to be invincible, with no bar set, no repercussions for any actions), then he would try for impeachment. There have been many impeachable offenses before the Ukraine call, but the nation has failed to hold him accountable. Finally, to both the American people and Trump’s relief, there is an offense that goes “too far.”

Now, this idea is, of course, ridiculous. Donald Trump is a disgrace and an evil in this country who has promoted a dangerous hate in the majority towards minorities. The American people saw early signs of this danger, and chose to elect him regardless. Perhaps it was not the majority of Americans, yet Trump is in office because he won the game anyways. It could have been avoided.

Trump has never been held accountable for anything and has never seen consequences to his actions. We, the People, enabled and continued this tradition of low expectations for the white male. Whether or not it was all a joke, it brought America to where it is today: in a divided state of hate and distrust. 

The only way to fix this mess is the same way it could have been avoided in the first place: voting. A novel concept of democracy in action, voting allows citizens to have a say in who they want for president, just so that candidates like Trump can be avoided.

Trump is finally being held accountable. Let’s hold accountable our fellow people, and ourselves, by voting no matter how undesirable both candidates seem. A worse evil is still a worse evil. There is no worse evil than a president who brings out disgusting hate and intolerance in America, and there is no worse evil than an electorate that enables him.