Donald Trump's 2024 victory has taken many on the left by shock. How could the majority of Americans support a fascist, racist, xenophobic felon who promised to be a dictator "on day one"? Well, maybe that's not what they support. Glenn reviews 2 New York Times op-eds that are perfect examples of what the legacy media has convinced half the country to believe about Trump and his supporters. Then, he explains what Trump supporters actually believe, and it couldn't be any more different.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: So one of the op-eds in the New York Times today is Trump's America.
His comeback victory signals a different kind of country.
From the New York Times.
In her closing rally on the ellipse last week. Kamala Harris scorned Donald J. Trump as an outlier who didn't represent America.
That's not who we are, she declared.
In fact, it turns out, that may be exactly who we are. At least most of us. The assumption that Mr. Trump represented an anomaly, who would at last be consigned to the ash heap of history was washed away Tuesday night by a red current that swept through the battleground states. And swept away the understanding of America, long nurtured by its ruling elite of both parties.
No longer can the political establishment write off Mr. Trump as a temporary break from the long march of progress.
Populist disenchantment with the nation's direction and resentment against elites proved to be deeper and more profound than many in both parties had recognized.
While tens of millions of voters still cast their ballot against Mr. Trump, he once again tapped into a sense among many others, that the country they knew was slipping away, under siege economically, culturally and demographically.
To counter that, those voters ratified the return of a brash 78-year-old champion willing to upend convention and take radical action, even if it offends the sensibilities or violates old standards.
Any misgivings about their chosen leader was shoved to the side. As a result for the first time in history, Americans have elected a convicted criminal as president. They handed power back to a leader who tried to overturn a previous election, called for the termination of the Constitution, and aspired to be a dictator on day one, and vowed to exact retribution against his adversaries. To Mr. Trump's allies the election vindicates his argument that Washington has grown out of touch.
And America is a country weary from overseas wars. The Trump presidency speaks to the depth of marginalization felt by those who believe they have been the cultural wilderness for too long, and their faith in this one person who has given voice to their frustration and his ability to center them in American life.
Rather than be turned off by Trump's flagrant, anger-based appeal. Along the lines of race, gender, religion, national origin. Especially transgender ideology.
Many Americans found them bracing. Rather than be offended by his brazen lies or wild conspiracy theories, many found him authentic. Rather than dismiss him as a felon, found by various courts to be a fraudster, cheater, sexual abuser, and defamer, many embraced his assertion that he's been the victim of persecution.
This election, quoting, was a CAT scan on the American people. And as difficult as it is to say, as hard as it is to name.
What it revealed, at least in part, is a frightening affinity for borderless corruption.
That is from the former strategic adviser to president George W. Bush.
The fact that Trump was able to bounce back from so many legal and political defeats over the four years, anyone which would have been enough to wreck the career of any other politician was a testament to his remarkable resilience and defiance.
But it also was owed in part to the failures of President Biden and Ms. Harris. Then they go on for two paragraphs about, oh, boy.
They were bad.
But then they're right back into Donald Trump.
The coalition that elected them, wanted them to unite the country.
And they failed to do so. And their failure resulted in further disillusionment with our country's politics and empowered the Trump base.
Trump has been conditioning Americans throughout this campaign, to see American democracy, as a failed experiment. Said historian and author of Strong Man. Let me say that again. Trump has been conditioning Americans throughout this campaign, to see American democracy as a failed experiment.
No. I've never heard him say that. I've never heard anybody that supports him say that.
A victory for Trump would mean that this vision of America, and the recourse to violence as a means of solving political problems, has triumphed. She continued.
Talking to Mr. Short. Whoever Mr. Short is.
Predicted another four years of chaos and uncertainty.
I would anticipate a lot of volatility. Personnel, but also significant boomerangs on policy.
Not boomerangs from Biden/Harris. But boomerangs from himself. You'll have one position one day. And another position the next.
Okay. So they go on, and they really, truly do not understand what's happened.
Now, this is self-imposed ignorance.
Because it's really not that hard to figure out. And I do believe it comes from a misunderstanding of what our country is.
They're looking at our country, the way Woodrow Wilson defined it.
And that is, an administrative state. What is in the American soul is something entirely different.
GLENN: All right. So who are we?
What is it that we fight for? We see America more in the tradition of the Founding Fathers.
Now, I know if you're somebody on the left, if you're somebody, especially, you know, in the elite government. Or, you know, somebody who went to Harvard. You might roll your eyes at this.
Because you think this is all trite. But many Americans believe this. We believe that the American spirit is a force that inspires teams.
It also has fueled revolutions.
It's also driven some of the greatest innovations and achievements the world has ever seen.
We believe that. We believe in the American individual.
Now, you might say that you do. But I don't think you do. Because you want somebody to tell all of the individuals, exactly what they must believe, what they must live. What they must eat.
What they must drive. What they must teach their children.
We don't believe that. We don't believe that. And it's not just for us. It is for people who want to live a transgendered life.
I don't care if you want to live a transgendered life.
I feel to you for you.
I do. I feel for you. I feel your pain. The pain that you must have gone through, your whole life.
I don't want you to go through that pain. But don't force me and my family to lie about science because you feel bad.
You might feel horrible. I know I did as an alcoholic. As somebody who has -- who actually considered suicide, I know what feeling bad feels like.
But only the truth will set you free. I can't -- I can't further the lie. Because it only will hurt more people.
Now, the American spirit, this is what brought settlers across the oceans. Across rugged mountains, that nobody thought.
They risked life and limb, just to get away from the big European state. That told them, you'll never make it.
You can't do it. Your family is worthless. Insular have the right credentials.
They crossed oceans to get away from that. To put that into perspective, that is almost like going to the moon today.
These were people who were like, screw it, man!
This is the spirit that took on the tyrants and the empires. That declared that there were such thing as free men and free women.
And distant rulers and aristocrats. And those in the black robes.
They don't determine our destiny. We do!
And it's something that transcends race and religion or class.
You know why a lot of people -- a lot of people, that you say are racist, I know racism exists. But not the way you think it does!
You think we're all born racist. I -- I don't believe that!
You have to be taught how to hate. You have to be taught how to hate the other side.
Many of us believe, that is what you're teaching, with antiracism. Only racism you believe, can stop racism.
So I have to be taught to hate, to stop hate!
It doesn't make sense.
It doesn't make sense.
We're just looking for common sense. We're looking for science!
And reason. To be fixed firmly in her seat.
When we say, we believe that America is exceptional. Why do you think we say that?
Because we're arrogant?
Because we're white. Because what?
Because we believe in God! It's none of that.
What makes us exceptional is this American spirit. It's not chance. It's not entitlement.
It's through toil and courage and vision. Of ordinary people, doing extraordinary things.
That's what makes us exceptional! We are exceptional because the rest of the world has been told, shut up, and sit down!
You cannot do that. What makes us exceptional is that we say, who are you to tell me that?
You don't control my life. You don't control my vision.
You don't control my every movement.
I believe we can do extraordinary things.
That's why every -- why every American should embrace Elon Musk.
And every American did embrace, at least the spirit of Elon Musk, until politics were introduced. I wasn't against Elon Musk in his cars, and everything else. When he was, quote, on the other side. I don't think he's changed. He still believes all that stuff about global warming that I don't believe.
But I didn't wish him ill. I didn't want him deported. I didn't want him shut up. I didn't want to destroy his company.
I rooted for him to go to Mars. I still root for him to go to Mars. You know why? Because that's an ordinary person, who has an extraordinary vision, who can articulate that vision and execute it. I want man to win!
Our Founders knew, that governments left unchecked, would accumulate power, at the expense of the individual.
We have been on this road, that you and the New York Times may say, is traditional.
You may say, it's -- it's accepted, it's the way we are.
Well, but that is a perversion. We switched train tracks about 1916.
We developed this new idea. That man cannot rule himself.
This is actually an ancient idea. But it was new in America. Man cannot rule himself!
Man has to have an overseer. A government. Somebody in the government. Somebody preferably not elected.
Just a faceless bureaucrat. That could nudge people, the right way.
We don't want to be nudged. We're much more direct than that. You don't understand who Americans are. We are frank and blunt.
We're polite. We don't want to argue about politics. We don't want to argue about sex.
We don't want to argue about religion. We don't want to argue about any of that stuff.
So we're polite in polite company. Most of us were taught, you don't talk about those things. Why?
Because it deepens the division.
Just, you be you, boo. I'll be me. But we can't -- we can't have those conversations anymore.
And we need to. Because that's who we are. I'll fight for your right to be whoever it is you think you are.
Oh, you're a marshmallow. A unicorn, that turns into marshmallows at night. Okay. Hey, she's not a marshmallow. That's right.
She's not. But she has a right to believe that. She wants to say that. She has every right. Shut up. Sit down.
But you want me to say, no, she is a unicorn that turns into a marshmallow at night. No! No!
I'll fight for your right to say what you believe.
But I'm also going to fight for everybody else's right including mine, to say you're wrong.
This system of government that started with Woodrow Wilson is ancient. We call it progressivism now. But it was -- it was the tool of the tyrants, going all the way back, I'm sure to cavemen.
This government has become corrupt!
Corrupt. We should all be on the same side!
If Donald Trump was taking money from China, and he was enriching his children, because they were meeting with the Chinese, and then trying to influence him, I would want them to go to jail!
Because I don't want corruption! You don't take foreign money, on the down low!
I think we're being consistent.
But you don't because you fundamentally misunderstand.
You keep quoting the Constitution. But I don't think you understand the Constitution. This is a framework, that is designed to empower people, and restrict the government.
You interpret the Constitution, as something that empowers the government, and restricts the people.
Only one of us can be right. And if you actually read the document, you'll know which one is true!
That's what leads us back to American exceptionalism.
All right. More in a second.
I just -- I feel like, we need to explain, to the left. In a very clear way. In a very kind way.
I'm trying to be kind.
You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what we want. We don't want to control your life.
We have no desire to be in your bedroom. We have no desire, nor will we round groups of people up.
That's what progressives did, with FDR.
Not constitutional conservatives!