New Delhi: Donald Trump is one of the few ex-presidents to contest a reelection after losing in a prior election, he will only be the second person to win a nonconsecutive second term, if he manages to emerge victorious in the upcoming elections.
Trump has already made history bidding for reelection after losing against Joe Biden by a narrow margin in the 2020 elections. However, Trump’s win this year would put his name beside the only one ex-president who has sought and won reelection in the past.
Trump’s historic decision
Although several ex-presidents in the past have run for election after losing in the second term, only one American president has taken office after losing in the second term. Grover Cleveland is the only American president ever to be elected after facing a defeat in reelection to win a second nonconsecutive term. Cleveland was a Democrat from New York City who won marginally in 1884 elections but lost in the electoral college despite winning the popular vote. Cleveland was renominated as the Democratic presidential candidate in 1892, and went on to defeat Benjamin Harrison, who he had lost against in the previous election.
Ulysses Grant served as the American president from 1869 to 1877, despite the encouragement from the Republican to contest a third-term, Grant decided to decline the offer. However, he had a change of mind, and decided to stand a third term. Despite leading throughout the GOP convention, Grant failed to win the support of a majority of the delegates, ultimately losing to James.A Garfield. The two-term limit on contesting the edition was a spoken rule rather than an actual constitutional rule that was adhered to since the time of George Washington, who set a precedent by declining to continue his presidency for a third consecutive term.
Until, the legislation of the 22nd Amendment that set a two-term limit on the duration of the American presidency when Franklin D. Roosevelt contested and won four consecutive elections breaking the unspoken rule followed by every American President in the past. Trump’s decision to stand for reelection after losing to Biden in his second-term election bid is not unconstitutionally or against the law, in fact, it does not even go against the unwritten democratic rule followed by Presidents in the past of imposing a two-term limit on American presidents, it is historic and unprecedented in the sense that every few ex-presidents have chosen to run for reelection after facing a defeat in the prior elections and even fewer, only one, American president has gone onto win reelection in a second nonconsecutive year.
Trump is also much older than Cleveland when he sought a second nonconsecutive term. Cleveland was 55 as compared to Trump who is nearing 80. Donald Trump is the oldest American presidential candidate, which is a historic feat in and of itself. He would also be the oldest President if he manages to win the 2024 elections.
Furthermore, it is never easy to maintain a sway over the American public after losing reelection once. For instance, Hebert Hoover never managed to stabilize himself after a landslide loss to FDR in 1932. Despite his efforts to gain an influence in the Republican Party and rise in the party ranks, he never really managed to gain a firm hand after his initial loss in 1932. He took a covert approach to win the support of the Republican delegates in the GOP convention in 1936, which did not work out for him. In 1940, as an act of grit, he took a more overt approach to secure a standing among the Republican Party delegates. But although he was well-received by some of the party members he did not really manage to gain a strong foot-hold to win the support of the majority of the party delegates in the GOP conventions.
In that sense, Trump stronghold over the Republican Party is triumph and a master stroke by itself. He has managed to maintain a sway over the party and its members even after his defeat to Biden in the previous elections. Call it his strong, rash personality or his tact manipulation and persuasion that have managed to maintain a hold over the party, but the fact that he has managed to have an influence in the party over the past four years is a commendable achievement.
What would Trump’s second term look like?
Although Trump’s hold over his party despite losing a reelection is a note-worthy feat and deserves all kind of attention and praise. But, the American public must not forget the chaos and disruption within America as an outcome of his leadership. Even though the American public has forgotten and even forgiven his undemocratic demeanor as President, they must not completely ignore the fact that it happened. Trump, by far, was the most undemocratic American leader – almost dictatorial.
His leadership led to the decline and the adulteration of American democratic institutions and systems. Democratic practices were corrupted: media corporations were bought and forced to follow a particular agenda, his actions were a direct attack on the free speech and media in America, he was charged for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol attack accusing the incumbent government of manipulating the elections, the amount of hate speech and lies propagated against his opponents was unseen in America’s history.
All these actions were autocratic and dictatorial in nature. Weakening of governmental institutions and systems, buying media houses, threatening journalists, inciting the people against the government, manipulating the Supreme Court justices and spreading lies and hatred against his political opponents, while also alluded to changing the American constitution. These are all indications of a dictator in the making,
His ambition for a second-term could have potentially curbed and kept in check his dictatorial instincts, however, if he were to be elected for a second-term, nothing would stop him from unleashing a full-blown attack on the democratic functioning of America. He will leave no stone unturned, probably might even amend the constitution, to remain in power.
Although he has a viable plan to improve the flailing American economy and improve the inflations and interest rates, and solve the immigration crisis the country is undergoing, it should not be sufficient to elect him as the next president. Trump’s leadership was chaotic and haphazard, his character is disorderly and tumultuous, he is a convicted felon, and the American should keep that in mind before voting for him. Trump is a threat to American democracy and the future of America.
