By Harold Pease, Ph. D
The most vicious elections in our history were that of Jefferson in 1800, Lincoln in 1860, Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Ronald Reagan in 1980, but none of these were more contentious than that of Donald Trump in 2016 who was opposed by both political parties. “Never Trumpers” (mostly Republicans) did not resort to street riots but “Not my President” (mostly Democrats) did following his election in many cities throughout the land.
In 2016, Most Americans knew that something was wrong—really wrong. Independents, those refusing to align Democrat or Republican, were about 40%— stronger than either party. Most Americans felt lied to by both parties and the media. Most Republicans felt betrayed when they elected politicians to restore the Constitution and the economy and these same politicians appeared to join the other side as soon as they arrived in Washington D.C. Many had wondered the value of their vote outside “the lesser of two evils” philosophy.
Enter Donald Trump who mostly said what others were afraid to say, beginning with illegal immigration. Our Mexican friends have indeed invaded our country and taken, not just the jobs Americans did not want, but the ones they did want as well. They entered every field and their illegal children, being bilingual, are now favored in most other jobs. When politicians say they will build a fence to help preserve American jobs almost no one believed them. Trump was a builder, building magnificent structures, and was believed.
Simply put, the media, the establishment, and the political parties had lost their credibility. The more the establishment or media ganged-up on Trump the more his following grew. He even identified the establishment media as “fake news.” His bravado was somewhat refreshing from the Bush’s, Clinton’s, Boehner’s and McConnell’s “no real change” rhetoric.
The establishment opposition to Trump certified another factor in his favor. He was not one of them. He would not be controlled by them, as were his predecessors from both parties. Nor did any special interest group control him. This may have been the first time in 120 years that this was so. Only the Constitution should guide and restrain him—not the moneyed establishment.
Another factor in his favor, also not mentioned by the press, was that most Americans believed that the economy was on a crash course. No country can long endure when more money is spent than taken in. No candidate understood the economy better than Trump, having worked successfully with it for decades. He had the most incentive to get it back to a sound base more than any other candidate, or even you or I; we lose hundreds when it blows, he loses billions.
The Trump phenomenon was essentially a rebellion against the establishment by a population tired of being manipulated every four years into staying on the road to bankruptcy with the same failed internationalist foreign policy presented by establishment candidates of both parties.
The establishment media attempted to show candidate Donald Trump as, a joke—certainly not a serious candidate, not a real conservative, a flip-flopper on the issues, anti-women, anti-immigration, insulting to everyone, least likely to beat Hillary Clinton, only attractive to white males, and not in touch with reality and more.
What was very different from previous brutal elections where such rhetoric ended after the election, was that, for Trump, it never ended—indeed it amplified his first two years in the White House. Opponent sympathizers largely financed by CFR member George Sores, took to the streets before the inauguration with signs “Not my president” while Republican opponents joined the “Never Trump” movement.
The intelligence community with Obama Administration holdovers, now referred to as the Deep State, targeted a duly elected president with what is now known as the “Russia Hoax.” Finding no evidence of Russia/Trump collusion after a two year Special Council Mueller probe; all in an effort to impeach their hated president as a traitor. CFR member and Obama CIA Director, John Brennon had called Trump a traitor. This while completely ignoring, even covering up, a real Russian/Clinton collusion story and the Russian Uranium One deal giving Russia 20% of America’s uranium profiting the Clintons by millions. This, with the bleach-bitted 35,000 Hillary Clinton emails so attesting to this deal, many of which were classified documents sent over her unsecured server.
While the Deep State fabricated collusion was ongoing the establishment press worked at getting Trump Administration personnel to turn on their boss from within, through anonymous sources showing Trump unfit for office. They hoped to “prove” incompetence, and thus exercise the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. But the Trump staff held firm.
Excepting Lincoln, no president should fear an assassination attempt more than Trump and many still fear that end; he is so hated by the establishment. Why? Because For over a hundred years, since William McKinley they, with the help of the media that they came to largely own, have propelled into power politicians sympathetic to their globalist interests in both parties so that their interests got attention no matter which of their two political parties, Democrat or Republican, got elected. Control of foreign policy was never out of their hands. They want “their” White House back regardless of what they have to do to obtain it.
Dr. Harold Pease is a syndicated columnist and an expert on the United States Constitution. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College. Newspapers have permission to publish this column. To read more of his weekly articles, please visit www.LibertyUnderFire.org.