In the final stretch of the US presidential election, there is concern about what a second term will look like Donald Trump. Democrats argue that the second time around he will be better prepared to overcome the institutional hurdles thrown his way, plunging the US into crisis. Speaking to Vima, the longest-serving White House correspondent John Gizzi does not embrace this apocalyptic image.
Of course Gizzi works for the conservative Newsmax network and maintains personal contacts with Trump’s inner circle. However, he is considered one of the best-networked journalists in Washington and an expert on American history. As he argues, many of the fears that exist today, such as the questioning of the election result by a defeated Trump, are not unheard of in US history. “Be assured that the country will move forward as it always does” it reassures us.
Should we expect significant differences between Trump’s first and a potential second term?
“Obviously the challenges are greater in 2024 than in 2016. I expect some dramatic moves in the economy, such as ending the tax on gratuities as well as reducing corporate taxes. On foreign policy, Trump will broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.”
Democrats portray Trump as a threat to democracy. If elected, will he “take revenge” on his opponents and expand presidential powers to exercise absolute control over federal agencies?
“Personal vendetta is highly questionable, especially with a powerful chief of staff in the White House and an attorney general who knows the law and its limits. For years, conservatives have hoped to gain tighter control over the civil service and career bureaucrats in government. But if they go beyond a point, they will face retaliation from Congress. The American political system is a separation of powers and contains checks and balances.”
Trump often refers to the “deep state.” Could a clash with “the unelected bureaucracy,” as he calls it, lead to a serious government crisis?
“The ‘deep state’ is a term that refers to career government officials. The criticism that professional bureaucrats subvert the president’s agenda goes back decades. Bureaucrats at the Justice Department, for example, were accused of undermining efforts by Presidents Reagan and Nixon. If there is a full-blown conflict between the president and the bureaucracy, the matter will be decided by the courts.”
Could traditional conservatives like Nixon, Reagan, and Bush identify with Trump’s current MAGA movement?
“Certainly. Nixon’s “great silent majority,” that is, those who were disgusted with the direction the country was heading in the 1960s, and the “Reagan Democrats,” who felt closer to him than to the Democratic Party of the day, are the ancestors of the MAGA movement”.
Are there grounds for concerns about a constitutional crisis if the electoral result is marginal and contested?
“What constitutes a constitutional crisis? The American government has withstood foreign attacks from the War of 1812 to the Civil War, the Great Depression, and 9/11. He can certainly withstand the electoral controversies that are part of the American tradition.”
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