Edward Luce, a columnist for the Financial Times, recently evaluated Donald Trump’s latest bid for the presidency and observed that the initial shock factor associated with Trump’s political maneuvers has significantly diminished over time. Despite this, Luce emphasized that Trump’s capacity to astonish has not lessened since his emergence on the political scene eight years ago.
He pointed out that Trump’s recent statements and actions continue to be as controversial and provocative as ever, capable of dominating headlines under normal circumstances. Luce’s analysis led him to the conclusion that Trump’s campaign is extraordinarily unconventional, to the extent that it could be considered almost supernatural in its deviation from standard political norms.
“He purged the Republican National Committee with 60 staff firings — the opening move by his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who he handpicked as RNC co-chair,” wrote Luce. “He did a U-turn on TikTok, now saying its Chinese parent company should retain ownership. He mimicked Joe Biden’s stutter, insisted that America’s true inflation rate was 50 percent, and attacked Jimmy Kimmel as the worst-ever Oscars host. It seems almost trivial to add that new details emerged about Trump’s apparent soft spot for Adolf Hitler.”
He expressed concern over the media and the public’s desensitization to Trump’s antics, suggesting that this has resulted in an uneven playing field where Trump is not subjected to the same scrutiny as other political figures. Highlighting the disparity in accountability, Luce argued that the type of rhetoric and answers Trump provides, such as his perplexing response to a question about inflation, would likely provoke significant political consequences for other politicians, possibly even prompting challenges within their own parties, told the New York Times.
Yet, Trump seems to navigate these controversies with an unusual level of immunity. Luce concluded his piece with a cautionary note, urging the American public and the media not to become complacent or dismissive of Trump’s rhetoric, regardless of its familiarity.
He stressed the importance of taking Trump’s statements and actions seriously, warning against underestimating the potential implications of his unorthodox approach to politics and communication. This perspective underscores a broader concern about the normalization of extreme political behavior and the risks it poses to democratic norms and discourse.
“If Trump is true to his word, 10 months from now he will be rounding up millions of illegal immigrants for deportation,” he wrote.
“Ukraine’s war against Vladimir Putin’s Russia will be over. The same fate would befall Trump’s federal criminal trials. His Department of Justice would be investigating his opponents. And he will have invoked the Insurrection Act to shut down civilian protests with US troops. “
