Trump as King Midas

The midterm elections on 3 November are among the most important in US history. Will the Democrats win both the House of Representatives and the Senate? Or will the Republicans manage to limit their losses? ‘In a sense, American politics has become both a farce and a tragedy,’ says American studies scholar Jelte Olthof. ‘American citizens are not to be envied, having to choose between two such incompetent parties.’

_{Text: Gert Grittter, Corporate Communications, UG / Photos: Henk Veenstra}

Olthof is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Arts and specializes in the history of the United States. Every week, he provides commentary on American politics and the influence of President Donald Trump in the Dagblad van het Noorden. Olthof analyses developments in the country from a historical and academic perspective. He particularly notes a trend in which the American president is increasingly centralizing power at the expense of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate).

Ambiguity

In the US, the Constitution holds a status almost comparable to that of the Bible. For many, it is a document sanctioned by the mythical Founding Fathers and thus elevated above all criticism. Olthof disagrees. ‘It is a fiction that the American Constitution should be regarded as sacred and infallible. At the time of its creation in 1787–1789, it was actually a highly controversial document. The thirteen states that initially formed the American republic could not agree on the Constitution. As a result, some provisions were intentionally left vague and ambiguous so that the document could be approved. This eventually happened in 1789, but only just. This ambiguity is now taking its toll, particularly in the 20th and 21st centuries.’

Presidential System

‘In the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the US broke away from Great Britain as a colony,’ Olthof explains. ‘The Americans wanted to avoid a powerful parliament once again standing above the individual states. Therefore, they precisely defined the limits of the power of their own federal Congress. This was primarily aimed at ensuring it did not interfere with the parliaments of the individual states. Additionally, the republic introduced the new office of president. Few restrictions were placed on this position, whether intentionally or not. The president’s role became central because the Constitution provided for a presidential system, unlike a parliamentary system such as in the Netherlands. The president was meant to serve as a counterbalance to the power of Congress, and vice versa. How this would play out was left to the future to determine.’

Lapdog

‘The Constitution, so to speak, baked in the possibility that the president’s power could grow at the expense of Congress. This indeed happened over time, long before Trump, for example under Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest-serving president (1933–1945). Under Obama, tensions arose, and Trump stretched presidential power even further during his first term (2016–2020). This continued under Biden, and the provisional peak seems to have been reached in Trump’s second term. The president has a different mandate than members of Congress. He serves the entire country and is independent, whereas members of Congress represent their home state or district. Moreover, the president only has to answer to himself, while Congress is a cumbersome, internally divided institution with 535 members. Over the past decades, Congress has become a lapdog.’

Trifecta

‘Trump has perfected this process,’ Olthof states. ‘As president, he has managed to centralize power the most, partly through the intimidation of both opponents and supporters. He approaches his second entry into the White House like a corporate takeover, demanding total loyalty from his staff as a CEO would. In other words: you must keep your mouth shut. Like King Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold, Trump has been fortunate enough to have many powers fall into his lap, such as the majority of judges in the Supreme Court. He also benefits from the “trifecta”: a situation in which the same party holds both the presidency and the majority in both houses of Congress. This enables him to dismantle federal government institutions and rapidly erode civil rights.’

Horse Race

‘Although the midterm elections are about entirely different issues, they are almost always a referendum on the sitting president. Usually, he loses the majority in the House of Representatives. Due to Trump’s policies, the Republicans will have a hard time. The war with Iran is difficult to defend. There are also the price of oil, inflation, and the cost of living. In opinion polls, Trump scores exceptionally low, making him toxic, and many Republican congressional candidates want to distance themselves from him. I won’t venture to predict the election outcome, but many analysts expect the Democrats to win the House of Representatives. The Senate race will be more exciting, and it remains to be seen whether the predicted “blue” (Democratic) wave will actually materialize.’

Deficient Democracy

‘If Trump loses and falls from his pedestal, he will prematurely become a “lame duck” – a powerless president. The same will apply to his entourage. The House of Representatives will then want to bring hidden information to light, leading to corruption scandals. Perhaps this will also create room for a discussion about the future of American democracy. Is the country even a stable, fully functioning democracy? The Economist annually rates the democratic quality of countries. During Trump’s first term, the US was downgraded from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy.”’

Beautiful Country

As a researcher, Olthof usually focuses on the negative aspects of the American system. Does he still love the country, which he has visited often and lived in for a while? ‘Oh, yes! It is a beautiful country, with a wonderful culture and nature. In daily life, you often notice little of the polarization in politics. What immediately strikes me is the enthusiasm you encounter in politics, as well as the courage, motivation, and dedication to tackle the anti-democratic tendencies of recent years. It’s hard to be cynical in that context. There is also a lot of private initiative, with citizens risking their lives to take to the streets and protest, as in Minneapolis. Try finding that in the Netherlands.’

More information

• Jelte Olthof