“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” President Donald Trump said in 2016 during one of his campaign stops at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, before his first presidency.
Almost a decade later, it’s a quote that feels less hyperbolic and rings more true. Because not even a year into his second presidency, after all the harm he has caused and the scandals he’s been in since his first term, it is clear Trump’s prediction was right; he operates in a political environment where accountability seemingly doesn’t apply to him.
Comparing this to the culture of the past, President Richard Nixon was involved in the Watergate scandal, where on June 17, 1972, five men were arrested while breaking into the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate Complex. The fallout set off a national uproar where the burglars were linked to Nixon’s reelection campaign and his aggressive cover-up of the matter pushed the nation into crisis. Facing certain impeachment, Nixon resigned.
Watergate was egregiously wrong, unethical, unfair and anti-democratic; a major abuse of presidential powers. And the consensus among the American public agreed as Nixon’s approval rating plunged below 50% in the aftermath, signifying that society then believed that a politician’s actions could disqualify them from leading a country.
Today, that belief is no more.
Trump changed the culture of American politics. Politicians can now do much worse offenses such as committing felonies, being liable for sexual abuse, urging followers to commit an insurrection and still somehow maintain a loyal fanbase of cult-like followers.
What makes America’s political climate disturbing is that in many other democracies leaders are removed from office for far less. For example, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached for declaring martial law unconstitutionally. This offense is similar to Trump’s when he calls for his national emergencies.
It is clear that in these other countries the wrong doings of a president still has consequences. In the U.S. Trump’s scandals have no effect on him at all.
When Trump faces criticism, he denies, deflects and attacks, calling every criticism, every lawsuit and scandal thrown his way a “hoax”. It’s a behavior that would usually end and ruin a politician’s career but now strengthens and emboldens his followers.
Trump’s grip on his supporters is due to a mix of his personality, perceived martyrdom – especially after being shot – and his ability to weaponize the fear of the American people. To his supporters he is not just a politician but a man who can do no wrong as he represents their anger, identity and the change of the status quo of politicians.
That’s why Trump really could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody without losing any support or followers. Trump’s latest scandal of his long documented history with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is proof. Any political figure would have been removed from office for having such a connection and a long history of scandals.
Even those in government do not dare to check him either. Instead, they wait hand and foot for his next order as they are scared of being a target of his political fury. They comply, enable and defend his actions.
Trump’s followers clearly do not care about his actions if a 34-count convicted felon and person who encouraged an attack on the U.S. Capitol can be elected as president.
Gone are the days of holding leaders accountable when elected officials are expected to uphold the values of this country. The only values that seem to exist are those of blind loyalty and power, no matter how much it hurts our democracy.
