Shortly after Congress acquitted Donald Trump yesterday, #MAGA became a trending hashtag on Twitter, and as the sun rises today #Trump2024 is trending.
There was no golden escalator event for the launch of Trump’s 2024 campaign. Trump was not present at his Congressional hearing, nor was he tweeting on Twitter, but the campaign launch continued without him.
Anticipation for 2024 Election
Supporters expressed their enthusiasm for a return in 2024.
Trump supporters posted celebratory Tweets like this one.
Trump Still in Control
The outcome of the Congressional impeachment hearing was predicable because Trump continues to have significant control and influence over the Republican Party and by extension the United States government.
Those opposed to Trump, console themselves with the hope that perhaps he will eventually be convicted of some crime, but he would probably continue to wield control over the Republican Party even if he was put behind bars.
Risks of Opposing Trump
It’s been repeatedly demonstrated that anyone going against Trump will be chastised, criticized, marginalized, threatened, and branded as a traitor or RINO (Republican in Name Only). Trump loyalists launch massive political campaigns against defectors to oust them from their position and replace them with Trump loyalists. So, politicians are afraid to speak up.
The Ferris Bueller of Washington D.C.
Trump is sort of like the Ferris Bueller of Washington D.C. — He does things that get him called to the principal’s office, but he somehow never gets punished, but instead gets celebrated.
Trump Supporters Emboldened
Trump and his followers are emboldened by the ongoing Congressional acquiescence.
The Trump campaign messaging is, as it has been in the past, that this most recent impeachment effort was just another hoax and ‘witch hunt’ by Democrats based on ‘fake news’ from the liberal leftist media, funded by George Soros, with support from the Deep State, west coast liberal elites, and liberal big tech firms. Presumably also part of this conspiracy are the numerous judges who recently ruled against Trump and the Joint Chiefs who wrote that ‘mean letter’ in January suggesting Joe Biden is president.
So, in other words, one can easily copy and paste the press release from previous scandals to address the current scandal. Anything that Trump isn’t ultimately punished for will be considered a hoax by Trump and his followers, such as the claims of Russian collusion or his impeachment over the ‘perfect phone call‘ between him and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump’s supporters and followers take this all very personally and see it as further evidence that they are under attack and need to double-down on their convictions, efforts, and financial giving.
In the event that the Trump 2024 campaign begins to pick up momentum, we can mark this moment as its inception.
Warning Regarding Violent Rhetoric
In 2015, Marco Rubio offered the following warning about Trump using the anger and violence of his supporters as a political tool.
Differing Viewpoints
There will no doubt continue to be differing views about Trump. Some seem to think he’s evil. Others downplay his disruptive nature. So, just as people can have differing views about Damien from The Omen. People can have differing views about Trump.
Further Reading
Nicholas Johnson suggests that the impeachment should have focused on the ongoing erosion of democracy as an attack on America, rather than emphasizing the impact of a specific speech by Donald Trump on 6 Jan 2021.
In “Impeachment: A Third View,” Johnson states:
In my book, Columns of Democracy, I make the point that a democracy can be neither created, nor sustained, standing alone. It requires a foundation of supporting “columns,” such as a respected free and independent media, and, in this case, a system of voting that is respected and trusted by the citizenry as inclusive, easy to use, accurate and honestly administered. Such a system makes for the smooth transfers of power that distinguish democracies from authoritarian dictatorships. Attacking that system, weakening it, threatening the voters trust in it, failing to support peaceful transfer of power — that should be the impeachable offence.
Source: “Impeachment: A Third View,” Nicholas Johnson, 13 Feb 2021. [View]