Irish Examiner view: Donald Trump's Republican Party faces a day of reckoning
US president Donald Trump speaking at a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday. Picture: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Despite his stated wishes to the contrary, it is perfectly possible that US president Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States of America, may see the beginning of the end of his dynasty by tomorrow night.
America goes to the polls tomorrow in the mid-term elections that are part and parcel of the US political cycle and if, as the outcome becomes clear tomorrow, Trump’s Republican Party loses control of either Congress or the Senate — or both — his Make America Great Again dynasty will begin to wither on the vine.
Polls across America are unanimously predicting such a result, and if the Democrats secure a majority in both houses, Trump will become that most dreaded of US political personalities: A lame duck president.
Unable to pass any more of the erratic domestic, international, financial, and cultural legislation that has characterised his second term in office, he will effectively see out his term of office with his hands tied by an opposition bitterly opposed to almost every policy stance he has initiated.
After a campaign in which Trump was forced to dubiously promise money to every citizen if the Republicans retain power in both houses and has tried to woo the disaffected farming sector, various minority communities, and sectoral industry interests, the look of loss is quite plain as he has resorted to the simple abuse of his opponents.
He and his Republican colleagues have tried to tar their
adversaries with false, inflammatory, and deeply personal
attacks, having gone down a very dark and unprecedented road in their messaging.
Stung by accusations of impropriety and using the presidency for personal aggrandisement, Trump’s desperation has become clear in his crassness and vulgarity. The campaigns run by him and his party stand out for their viciousness, as Republicans face a voter revolt over the rising cost of living, the war against Iran, immigration, housing costs, abortion, crime, the threat of AI, and accusations of corruption.
Those factors — tied with the election losses of allies such as Aleksander Vucic in Serbia, Victor Orban in Hungary, and Jair and Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil — are suggesting to some in the White House that a global election trend is afoot.
In the past two years of his administration, Trump has literally and figuratively changed the shape of Washington. On foreign policy, he has rewritten the US playbook and alienated many long-term allies — he has done the same domestically with his often-fatal immigration crackdown.
The cost of living in America is, nevertheless, still the primary concern of the country’s voters ahead of tomorrow’s polls and, despite constant promises to stem the rising prices of food, fuel, and basic necessities, he has failed to deliver.
That single issue is most likely to sway the vote against Trump and the Republican Party, often in states where they have traditionally controlled.
The picture is not a pretty one for the president and his supporters, and his desperation has become obvious; particularly so as the threat of prosecutions for various improprieties — and perhaps even a third impeachment — are staring them right in the eye.
It is a grave concern to this country that our infrastructure shortfalls are damaging businesses by driving up costs or hindering efforts to hire workers.
While the Government plans to spend €250bn addressing gaps in the State’s water, energy, transport, health, and housing issues, the challenges posed by poor infrastructure are hindering national growth.
That was the recent view of the country’s Institute of Directors, which says deficits in each of those areas are dangerous for the country.
While infrastructural development is welcome and necessary, completing vital projects on time and within budget is something which consistently dogs the current administration.
There is a definite sense that while the Government — or even the country as a whole — is not lacking ambition or vision, the problem lies with a failure to successfully plan for our own success. What is needed — and what has so far been singularly lacking — is accountability, fast decision-making, and a willingness to accept and manage risk rather than being paralysed by it.
A culture change is needed if Ireland Inc is to address obvious needs quickly and with precision, and if national growth is to continue in good health.
The reaction of the Norwegian state and its people in the face of being accused of becoming “a shit house country” by Donald Trump, has been gloriously humorous.
In response to a campaign speech in Michigan last week in which he berated the Scandinavian country for not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian reaction has been spectacularly comedic.
The country’s official tourist agency, Visit Norway, has run an advertising campaign highlighting what it describes as “the world’s best shit houses”. Norway has, in recent years, commissioned award-winning architects to reimagine its humble wayside toilets, turning them into attractions in their own right. “Are these the world’s best shit houses?” it trumpeted in the campaign.
Along 18 designated scenic routes around the country, it tasked designers with transforming modest loos into spectacular tourist destinations, and several have since won international awards.
In its campaign, Visit Norway ran pictures of some of these privies, many of which are architecturally striking, overlooking a number of stunning scenic locations.
They invited tourists “to take your time and enjoy the scenery, even if you don’t have any business to take care of”, and advising them to “get ready for the pit stop of your life”, while signing off with a cheery “toodeloo”. Trump’s beef with Norway stems from the fact he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, something which the nation itself or its government has no say in. The social media fightback has been immense, characterised by Visit Norway’s comedic riposte.
The Norwegians, it transpires, have not been discommoded at all.
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