Trump's Failure to Unite America
Jonah Miller
On September 11th, 2001, President George W. Bush addressed the American public. Although harrowing and evil, he explained, the terrorist attacks in New York and D.C. would unite all Americans “in our resolve for justice and peace.”
President Bush, without a doubt, was quick to act. He spoke multiple times throughout the day, most notably from the Oval Office, explaining how Americans would “stand together to win the war against terrorism.”
He’s not wrong. While the attacks on 9/11 happened two years before I was born, I’ve read dozens of articles and anecdotes of how Americans, “from every walk of life,” preached unity instead of division. In terms of Bush’s presidency, in just a few days, his approval ratings soared from a modest 51% approval to a record-breaking 92%.
Americans truly joined with Bush under the common theme of freedom.
In contrast, President Trump has divided a nation. While both 9/11 and the Coronavirus pandemic are vastly different, they both intensify the feelings of anxiety, fear, and anger. In both situations, Americans naturally look toward the commander-in-chief, seeking solace.
Unlike Bush’s rallying message, which boosted his approval ratings, Trump’s sad attempt at a unifying message has been… quite different: “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”, “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!”, “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It’s under siege!”, Trump posts on Twitter.
His strategy is clear: make it appear as if Democratic governors are restricting the freedoms of their constituents. Unfortunately for Trump, his approval ratings have tanked. His unifying message has only divided the country, angering medical professionals, inciting violent protests, and delaying the ultimate safe reopening date of the country.
It’s honestly unbelievable.
Although the panic of 9/11 and the alarm of COVID-19 were and are felt nationwide, Bush was able to use the common feelings sensed throughout the country to successfully unite the US, unlike Trump who believes that the way to merge all walks of life is to divide.
Upon learning about the seriousness of the Coronavirus in January, Trump held multitudes of rallies, downplayed the severity of the virus when it was dominantly in Asia, and even called it a “hoax” that the Democrats were using to hurt his chances in November.
Well, this “hoax” has killed over 60,000 people just in the United States and will definitely hurt Trump’s chances at re-election.
Presidents have their own strategies for how to succeed. During a time of crisis, some Presidents choose to unite the country under common emotions while some encourage violent protesters who carry Confederate flags. Trump’s dividing policies, however, cannot withstand the power of the ballot box this November. In the end, it takes a great President to unite the country, it takes a President to even try, but it takes a moron to divide.