James Fallows is a seasoned journalist with a long and distinguished career as a writer and editor. He also served as the chief speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter. In a recent article on his blog, he conducts an interview with himself about the election, questioning why Trump is failing to attract anyone beyond his fervent base of supporters. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris is garnering endorsements from Republicans who are determined to prevent Trump from returning to the White House, with the latest endorsement coming from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In his Substack blog “Breaking the News,” Fallows writes:
Do we know what is going to happen?
Last week, I shared insights from renowned Democratic strategist James Carville and prominent Republican Stuart Stevens, both of whom expressed confidence in Kamala Harris’s potential to win. Personally, I believe that if there is a last-minute shift in the closely contested race, it would likely benefit Harris. While Trump may have solidified his base, he may have reached his maximum level of support. On the other hand, Harris still has room to gain additional support from undecided voters.
If this scenario plays out, it could mean that polls have once again underestimated the anger of many female voters, as seen in the previous midterm elections. They may have also overlooked the apprehension and repulsion felt by Republican and centrist voters towards everything associated with Donald Trump, starting from the events of January 6th and continuing on. I hope that this potential outcome will be the surprise in store for us, but I cannot say for certain.
Is Donald Trump still actively seeking to win over voters, or is he solely focused on winning the election through other means?
The concern is that Trump may have given up on expanding his base beyond his loyal supporters. There is a fear that he is looking past November 5th and concentrating on what comes next, including intimidation, threats of violence, premature claims of victory on election day, and post-election legal battles that could reach the Supreme Court. This could explain the current escalation of “Stop the Steal” rhetoric, aimed at conditioning his followers to believe that any loss must be the result of fraud.
There were only two instances in recent months where Trump seemed to be running a campaign that targeted more than his core base. Notably, both occurred while Joe Biden was still his primary opponent. However, since then, especially following Kamala Harris’s nomination, Trump has been focused on grievances and falsehoods. His rallies have become repetitive and alienating to anyone not already devoted to him.
While Trump’s behavior may be driven by impulse rather than calculation, the question remains about the Republican party as a whole. Are they unconcerned as they witness their leader alienate potential voters, or are they maintaining composure because they have already devised a post-November 5th strategy that includes various allies, from the Proud Boys to the Supreme Court majority?
Was the latest Trump rally as concerning as it may seem?
Yes, it was.
While caution must be exercised when drawing parallels to Nazi rhetoric, the similarities between Donald Trump’s recent appeals and the early Nazi propaganda are striking. The language and themes used in Trump’s recent rally at Madison Square Garden bear resemblance to the rhetoric of the 1934 Nuremberg rally depicted in “Triumph of the Will.” References to vermin, poisoning, bad genes, internal enemies, and expulsion are eerily reminiscent of that dark period in history. The comparison may be uncomfortable, but it is difficult to ignore when analyzing major political events since World War II.