Liberals say they hate Trump, but, privately, they’re actually enamored of some of his policies.
By John Feffer, Tom Dispatch
Liberals hate Trump, no question about it. He’s the definition of illiberal: authoritarian, racist, sexist, and downright nasty. Not only that, he’s a living repudiation of the liberal delusion that America runs on meritocracy.
But you want to know a dirty, little secret? In back alleys, encrypted group chats, and off-the-record conversations, liberals will still support Trump on a case-by-case basis. Of course, they’d never vote for the guy, but they’ll give two cheers for some of his policies.
I discovered this ugly truth during Trump’s last term while writing an article on the shift in U.S. policy toward China from lukewarm engagement to hostile decoupling. The general consensus among the foreign policy elite was that, at least in terms of relations with Beijing, Trump was a useful idiot for slowing China’s roll with harsh rhetoric and tariffs.
“Trump is a madman, but I want to give him and his administration their due,” one prominent liberal intellectual told me. “We can’t keep playing on an unlevel playing field and take promises that are never delivered on. It’s really China’s turn to respond, and it’s long overdue.”
It wasn’t just China. For years, liberals and conservatives alike were, for instance, pushing the concept of burden-sharing: getting U.S. allies to cover more of the bill for their security needs. But it was only Trump who really made it happen by blackmailing NATO members and other U.S. partners into doing so.
Sure, few warmed to the idea of the United States actually pulling out of NATO, but even many of our European allies, though they publicly grumbled, were secretly happy about The Donald’s gaiatsu. That’s the Japanese word for outside pressure that enables a leader to force through unpopular changes by blaming it all on foreigners. The self-described liberal leader of NATO, Dutch politician Mark Rutte, even came out in the open after Trump’s reelection to praise the American president for making European countries more militarily self-sufficient.
Recent Posts
ICC Targets Smotrich For War Crimes— He Responds by Promising More War Crimes
Take Action Now Smotrich reportedly bragged about helping create more than 100 new settlements and 160 farming outposts, while the U.N. has reported…
Establishment Democrats Still Don’t Get Why They Lost in 2024
Take Action Now No amount of messaging acumen could have plastered over the gaping hole in Harris’ campaign: a total dearth of popular policies.By…
The CIA Goes to Cuba
Take Action Now After decades of covert operations, the CIA director has given the Cubans an overt ultimatum for change on the island.By Peter…
Minnesota Officials Charge ICE Agent Who Shot Venezuelan Immigrant & Falsely Reported What Happened
Take Action Now “That is what democracy looks like. It looks like separation of powers and getting material consequences [for] wrongdoing,” she……