“Law and order!” – it’s been a rallying cry of US President Donald Trump for months as his nation battles civil unrest and deep division. The man in the White House is months away from another major battle for power, four years after he first shocked the world.
Trump was ranked as a clear outsider to become President when he ran against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016. Clinton had rolled with the punches as The Donald threw allegation after allegation her way in the lead up to polling day, with the then-Republican hopeful even leading supporters in chants of “lock her up!”.
But the brash New York native surprised everybody when he edged to an electoral college victory, despite losing out in the popular vote. In fact, Trump attracted just 46% of the 55% Americans eligible to vote, which translates to around one in four on the electoral roll putting an ‘X’ next to his name.
It mattered little and Trump became the 45th President of the USA, and four years later he once again finds himself as the underdog. The latest odds on the next US president place Democratic candidate Joe Biden as the favourite, and in this article, we will examine what needs to happen for history to repeat itself.
Big business
As a former business mogul, a huge part of Trump’s appeal is his knowledge of “the art of the deal”. Unlike his opponents, the Presidential hopeful hadn’t spent his professional career working as a Senator or a Congressman and he’d instead honed his philosophies in the board room.
Trump’s history in business, and not politics, helped his appeal grow, with many voters hopeful that his policies could provide a boost to the economy, create jobs, and return centres of manufacture to America.
Following his election in 2016, Trump certainly worked to deliver against these promises. His big business-friendly edicts helped several large names return operations to US soil, although many have questioned the broader benefits this has delivered to the middle and working classes.
Regardless of this, Trump’s reputation as a man with a keen eye for economic growth will likely boost his chances of being successful later this year.
Law and order
Could Trump’s declaration of his commitment to upholding the law be enough to sway the vote in his favour? Throughout the summer, America has faced issues with protests that have turned violent, including the vandalism of public property and even the loss of life.
Of course, the issue of the protests themselves is much broader, but Trump’s response has been to clamp down as hard as possible, to be vocal on the issue and to threaten those breaking the law with the harshest possible punishments.
This strategy could well prove crucial as Trump seeks to overturn the odds, with the Republican party traditionally seen as being tough on crime. Longer prison sentences and greater investment in the police and armed forces are hallmarks of Republican policy, with the Democrats often perceived as being a soft touch on the matter.
Love him or hate him, Trump’s strong policies on business and law enforcement will likely keep this year’s election race close. Despite looking set to be an outsider against Biden, it’d be unwise to write off the incumbent President’s chances of earning a second term.
