Since the publication of Michael Wolff’s scandalous exposé of the behind-the-scenes operations of the of Trump White House, the chorus calling for Trump’s impeachment has predictably grown. Even before the airing of Wolff’s claims that Trump is “aberrant,” many were moved by the chaos of Trump’s ritual tweet-trolling of basically everyone on the planet to insist that Trump is incompetent, mentally ill, and therefore unfit for the American presidency. Trump is undeniably a troll and a fool. But is he abnormal? Sadly, no. Indeed, apparently without realizing it, those who present Trump as a monstrous deviation from the norms of propriety, dignity, and professionalism supposedly governing American life are ironically dazzled by the same backward-looking, exceptionalist reverie which rallied the Trump base to “Make America Great Again.”
Trump’s beliefs and behavior are unfortunately all too common. In fact, in September of 2017, Ipsos/Reuters and the University of Virginia, released a poll in which fully 31% agreed with the statement that “America must protect and preserve its White European heritage” (35% of whites and 36% of men) and 39% agreed with “White people are currently under attack in this country” (47% of whites and 41% of men). The poll was conducted shortly after the “Unite the Right Rally” in Charlottesville, VA where white supremacist, James Fields, Jr., murdered Heather Heyer and injured many others in a brutal attack against counter-protestors. The idea that whites are under attack and must preserve their “White European heritage” are central themes of white supremacist and neo-Nazi rhetoric, as expressed, for example, in their “you/Jews will not replace us” chants. When Trump defended Confederate monuments and assigned blame to “both sides” after Charlottesville, he was basically speaking in unison with a substantial portion of the American public. Similarly, when Trump argues for a “wall,” he is not far away from the beliefs of the majority of Americans. According to a January 17-19 Harvard Harris poll, 54% of Americans support “building a combination of physical and electronic barriers across the U.S.-Mexico border.” This poll was conducted in the week after Trump reportedly derided immigrants from “shithole countries.”
Of course, the denunciation of Trump has also been accompanied by comparisons to previous presidents. Former leaders are now presented to us as paragons of virtuous statesmanship who sought to “unite the country” and “preserve the dignity” of the office of president. All this fits nicely with the narrative of those who, already in the early days of the Trump campaign, insisted that Trump not be “normalized.” His lies, his racism, his sheer meanness - the exceptional quality of his demagoguery and ignorance are hard to deny. As each new day opens and yet another racist comment, sex scandal, or international provocation is catapulted to the crisis of the hour, it’s difficult to help longing for the days of President Obama, when one could serenely contemplate the murder of “suspected terrorists” through drone-based targeted assassinations without the maelstrom of stupidity and sensationalism. Unfortunately for those looking to re-create former greatness, the facts reveal that modern American presidents are a menagerie of racists, lechers, harassers and bullies, rapists, anti-Semites, dolts, religious fanatics, and warmongers. Maybe Trump isn’t a “normal” president, but that’s hardly his worst quality.
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