Debate Primer: Trumpism
This week, Political Union will be debating whether the future of the Republican Party is Trumpism. Ultimately our understanding of this resolution hinges on our definition of the term “Trumpism,” and we thought that it would be good to include several sources in this weekly debate primer that engage with this concept before we get into the thick of the debate.
From Derek Thompson in the Atlantic in December 2020 – a book review considering Trumpism as a combination of economic grievances and traits personal to President Trump. [7 minutes]
In Wall Street Journal Opinion, what Trumpism might mean to Donald Trump, as expressed through his statements on policy at his most recent CPAC appearance. [5 minutes]
A longer essay, also for the Wall Street Journal, about the future of Trumpism just before President Biden’s inauguration this past January, arguing that the loss of blue-collar jobs undergirds Trumpism as a political force. [14 minutes]
And if you’ve really got time, a multi-part lecture series given by former Speaker Newt Gingrich on “What is Trumpism?” via the Heritage Foundation – the first and sixth installments contain clips most relevant to our debate. [honestly quite a few minutes]
Next, a brief explanation from the AP on the policy and rhetorical landscapes present in the gubernatorial election in Virginia, where Glenn Youngkin triumphed over the Democratic favorite Terry McAuliffe. [6 minutes]
Now, a few takes on what Trumpism, as various commentators define it, might play in the future of the Republican party:
After Governor Gavin Newsom’s recall election victory earlier this fall in California, a short panel discussion on PBS NewsHour on whether President Trump’s brand of politics remains the main concern in liberal America. [7 minutes]
Ross Douthat’s column in the New York Times on November 13, arguing that the Republican Party has a unique opportunity to return to Reaganism and “play the hits” of the ‘80s in order to win big at the polls next year. [5 minutes]
An opinion piece by Governor Larry Hogan, Republican of Maryland, in the Wall Street Journal, asserting that Youngkin’s victory is a non-Trumpist blueprint for the Republican party. [4 minutes]
A criticism in CNN Opinion of the idea that the GOP is now post-Trump, lambasting individual House Republicans for extreme views and recent statements. [9 minutes]
Image credit: "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
