Is Donald Trump a conservative? This is a question that has been discussed by politicians and political commentators who have looked at former US presidents’ conduct in the political realm.
Conservatism is best defined as “a political and social philosophy characterized by respect for American traditions, republicanism, support for Christian values, moral universalism, pro-business and anti-labor union, anti-communism, individualism, advocacy of American exceptionalism, and a defense of Western” [Source]. It can also be viewed as “a political and social philosophy promoting traditional social institutions in the context of culture and civilization. Conservatives seek to preserve a range of institutions such as religion, parliamentary government, and property rights, with the aim of emphasizing social stability and continuity.”
From the aforementioned definitions, one can qualify the controversial leader as a conservative because he exhibited those traits during his reign and various policies he wished to implement in the US. In trying to fill in the shoes of a celebrated Republican Reagan, Trump launched the “Make America Great Again” movement to restore the lost image of Americans. To achieve this, they needed to revisit their background and bring back all aspects that define them as a people. For instance, he wanted to cap illegal immigrants who were allegedly tainting his country and putting pressure on resources while feeding criminality levels. He promised to defend the country’s values across the globe and continued to fund foreign military camps with American military personnel deemed to be defending America.
He was despised for being too “proud” of his nationality and shunning other races in a bid to show superiority over the globe. His loyal fans believed in that same vision of conserving their cultural values and norms, even in politics and economic policies. As a successor of Obama, Trump argued how the self-proclaimed “great” nation had lost its touch and needed to press the reset button to retain its status of greatness. Cultural fusion, useless international relations, abnormal tolerance, policy dilution, and the essence of a “global village” were outlined as main culprits who were regressing American’s progress in becoming great again.
A survey was carried out among YouGov and HuffPost after the November 2020 elections to determine “how conservative or liberal they thought a pair of prominent politicians were.” Due to their findings, the researchers concluded that “And despite his ideological heterodoxies, Trump was rated as more conservative than all but 10 of the 114 politicians we asked about” [Source]. It was noted that he redefined conservatism, and even before he became president, he had already made significant moves towards the conservative side.
In July, CNN reported that “Democrats might control the White House and Congress, but Donald Trump-style conservatism is on a roll in Republican states and Washington, raising the stakes for Joe Biden in a summer critical to his goals of a transformational presidency” [Source]. Such views came after prominent Republican governors, including Texas’s Greg Abbott and Florida’s Ron DeSantis, who seem to be flourishing in implementing individual policies in their states. To onlookers, these loyal Trump fans are making moves to impress the former US president and have become more or less rebellious in their conduct since the ways of governance utilized diverts from the norm.
According to CNN, those governors’ “aggressive moves on immigration, easing gun restrictions, targeting social media giants and adding restrictive voting laws seem tailored to please the ex-President and, more importantly, to tap into his support base as they prep reelection races that could merge seamlessly into 2024 White House runs”. Because Trump has influenced them, one can regard him as a conservative whose teachings delved deep into the republicans’ hearts.
However, not everyone thinks Trump is a reasonable conservative in the Republican party. “Republicans have spent decades searching for another Ronald Reagan, the conservative icon who for many continues to embody – years after his death – the small government, optimistic view of America and the Americans who make it happen. They’ve yet to find him” [Source]. Politicians who believe in this line of thinking argue how Trump diluted the republicans’ outlook and led them astray.
Trump exerted a lot of effort to maintain the status quo, which made him unpopular among other world leaders and famous politicians. But his actions do point to a conservative stance.
