The past few weeks have seen dramatic swings, shifts, and field-clearing in the Republican presidential race. For second place. Above the fray, however, the race has been remarkably smooth and stable—like a plane ride at 20,000 feet where you barely seem to be moving in the air—save for the occasional turbulence caused by the outbursts and late-night TruthStorms from the nominee in all but name, Donald J. Trump.
A great deal of media attention has been heaped upon the former president’s new foil, and only rival, former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. This past month, Haley, aided by a sense of perceived momentum, opponent dropouts, and a tailored local appeal, received 44% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary—a solid and competitive total that gave the appearance of an actual race between her and Trump. This, however, was not enough to win the race, as Trump garnered 55% and sauntered out to the podium on election night with a double-digit victory at hand before launching into infantile invective against Haley.
It increasingly appears that her performance in the Granite State was a high-water mark for her campaign, and conversely, the rest of the race will likely be a low point for the Republican Party as it stands prepared to nominate a man who twice failed to gain a majority of support from the American people, and who is perpetually followed by sordid allegations of abuse. And despite the fact that the choice could not seem more clear, the result appears to be even more depressingly obvious. How is this possible? The answer lies not in our thoughts but in our impulses.
For months, polling averages have shown Donald Trump underperforming Nikki Haley in general election matchups against Joe Biden, often by drastic numbers. For a Republican Party and conservative audience rabid at the injustices and incompetence of the Biden administration—both real and perceived—it would seem that ridding him from the Oval Office would be the paramount objective.
Yet this argument has fallen upon deaf ears. Haley trails Trump by 40+ points nationally, and her unfavorables in the GOP have skyrocketed as she had the audacity to point out that her opponent was found liable for both sexual assault and defamation—where is her civility!
Clearly, the GOP attachment to Trump is beyond rationale, but rather connected to something more primal and visceral. While it has been noted for many years how Trump connects with the unrestrained anger of “forgotten” Americans who, in many cases, have been short-changed by the effects of globalization, there are other details that seem almost trivial and inconsequential but nonetheless play a profound role in shaping their perceptions.
Transactionality is an axiom of politics, and it is hard to find individuals more susceptible to it than those running for office. It is often couched in rhetoric and feigned attempts at sincerity—out-of-context attacks on someone’s voting record or exasperation at minor differences. Because politicians are good actors, but not great ones, these attacks can fall flat. They are caught between two stools. Some can succeed by being great actors, like Ronald Reagan (though there was arguably more to him than his Hollywood chops), while in the case of Donald Trump, it appears that he is succeeding because he is such a bad actor or in many cases not even trying at all.
The game is simple: if you are with me you are good, if not then you’re bad. It is so silly, that the honesty implicit in his dishonesty is refreshing. After months of blistering attacks against Ron Desantis, the Florida governor cowered out of the race right before New Hampshire, dutifully endorsing the Donald. When asked about it, Trump comically responded that he is proud to announce that the nickname “Ron Desanctimonious is officially retired.” And that was that. Desantis has now been returned to the fold of MAGA.
This snippet was a microcosm of what lies at the heart of his appeal. Dave Chappelle perhaps put it best when he remarked that Donald Trump was “an honest liar.” And like Chappelle, Trump also possesses a gift deadly in politics: he is objectively funny. Take the last quote for example. If you watch the clip you will see what I mean. The perfect timing and comedic cadence, the leaning in to deliver the punchline—it was an artist in his element. DaVinci’s painting the Mona Lisa comes to mind.
Returning to the broader question at hand, how is it that so many people find him so appealing in light of the litany of decidedly unappealing traits about him? The answer is he speaks to our impulses. Not just anger and vitriol; more importantly he still refreshes and relaxes us. When choosing between the delayed gratification of policy victories and the instant relief of a charismatic personality, it is hardwired human nature to choose the latter. No wonder Haley never had a chance.
