Speakers called it the most important election in the history of the United States.
The Republican National Convention (RNC) 2020 had one singular agenda: four more years for President Donald J. Trump. Anyone watching the RNC 2020 will quickly conclude that it was about Trump, and the celebration of his four years in office. Every single speaker in the convention sounded crystal clear that American voters had a choice to make in November, and that was to re-elect President Trump, and “Make America Great Again”. Speakers at the convention had no doubts expressing their fear that Joe Biden’s election was going to bring a socialist doom to the United States and the path of socialism would lead to decline. It would be Donald Trump only who can provide safety, stability and also a respectable position to the United States in the current international system. President Trump, speaking at the convention, said, “This election will decide whether we save the American Dream, or whether we allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny.” From delivering greater economic growth and jobs to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, from pushing allies to share the burden of global and regional security to pulling America out of foreign wars, from showing strength and resolve against China to killing terrorists who harm American interests, one man did it all, according to RNC 2020. That man was President Trump, who four years ago, joined the race for the White House, and despite being seen as nothing more than a maverick businessman, went on to win the election and become the 45th President of the United States of America.
Speakers at the Republican convention have called it the most important election in the history of the United States. The focus on centrality of celebrating Trump’s win four years ago, and his innings at the White House, is starkly reflected in the Republican Party’s decision not to adopt any party platform this time, and rather to singularly focus on the agenda of re-electing Trump. If the Republican convention showed an unarguable unity in supporting Trump’s second term, it left no stones unturned to denounce Joe Biden’s run for the presidency, and disapprove any significant record to show in Biden’s 47 years in politics. A number of speakers during the convention accused the Obama-Biden team at the White House of failing to achieve anything substantial for the American people, in the domestic or the foreign policy domain.
Republicans claimed that Joe Biden, who could not achieve anything substantial for the American people so far, was not going to be any different if elected US President. Trump accused Biden of being party to a number of foreign policy debacles like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), accommodating China into the World Trade Organization (WTO, being soft on Iran and failing to talk tough to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) partners to contribute more to regional and global security. While giving himself credit for doing exactly the opposite during his four years of presidency, Trump said, “Joe Biden is not the saviour of America’s soul—he is the destroyer of America’s jobs, and if given the chance, he will be the destroyer of American greatness.”
Claiming to have done the most for the Africa-American community than any American President since Abraham Lincoln, Trump said, “I have done more in three years for the black community than Joe Biden has done in 47 years—and when I’m reelected, the best is yet to come!” The best is yet to come and it is time to “Make America Great Again”, with four more years of the Trump presidency was the loud and clear clarion call of the RNC 2020. Undoubtedly and unsurprisingly, the RNC 2020 intended to call the DNC’s bluff, and show that Joe Biden who has failed to put “America First” till now, will not deliver as President of the US, and that American voters had a choice to make. That Choice, as the Republican convention, put front and centre, was to re-elect President Trump for four more years to the White House.
The need to have racial unity featured in all the pronouncements made during the convention repeatedly. There was certainly a symbolic message that it requires serious attention. If America has to be made great again, it has to work for building social cohesion and providing economic opportunities. The post pandemic US will have to focus on various domestic issues with a greater emphasis on reviving the economy. The argument that Americans won’t be safe if Biden wins would be valid only when strong confidence is built among all the constituents of American society. It does not seem to be that way. American society right now is highly polarised and fragmented.
Will President Trump be able to turn the tide in the November election, remains a part of the discourse. There was not enough mention of his accomplishments during the first term during the Republican National Convention. How immigrants, workers and minorities remained the target of President Trump’s first term is well known. The mobilisation of these groups in the Republicans’ favour will be a daunting challenge. The first presidential debate has been scheduled for 29 September and two more will be in October. This will perhaps make clearer for the choices to be made in the November election by American citizens.
Arvind Kumar is Professor and Monish Tourangbam is Assistant Professor (Senior Scale) at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal. Both specialise in American Studies