Donald Trump, who recently had a comfortable 11-point lead with most ballots counted in the New Hampshire primary, is now the most likely Republican candidate for the upcoming U.S. election in November 2024. What could this mean for democracy, not just in the U.S., but throughout the world?
Democracy as we know it, could be under threat. President Joe Biden, who would most likely be the Democrat nominee, recently said in a statement that ‘Our democracy, our personal freedoms – from the right to choose to the right to vote. Our economy – which has seen the strongest recovery in the world since Covid. All are at stake.’
After the events on January 6, 2021, the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, there is question on whether Donald Trump would allow democracy to continue as we know it. Would there be free and fair elections? Would he accept defeat a second time, when he didn’t the first time? Would there be more riots? These are all questions that will affect the Western world, because of the U.S.’s place in the ‘world order.’
At the heart of this question is whether other Republicans would cede power in order to prevent the erosion of democracy. This primary race has already told us that this may not be the case. For example, Republican South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace recently endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency, despite having called out the former President for his role in the January 6 Capitol attack which was related to claims of election fraud that were never proved.
Issues of the economy, national security and immigration will be at the forefront of the agenda for Donald Trump, as these are issues that will define his popularity if he enters the White House. If there is not a robust structure within the Republican party entailing a variety of conservative viewpoints, over time democracy could be eroded and these issues would head in the direction of Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ base. Given that the Supreme Court now has a significant right-wing majority and Republican sway, this becomes all the more likely.
Another issue is who Trump would pick for Vice President, given that Kari Lake, for example, supported Trump in the wake of his unfounded claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. What is the solution to the lack of respect for democracy within certain strands of the Republican party, and in particular Trump? That remains to be seen.
Edited by Josh Reidelbach
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