Trump's Red Kingdom

When reading through Ronald Brownstein's piece "The Huge Snag in Trump's Reelection Pitch," I couldn't help but hear the TikTok sound "It's the reeeed kingdom..." play on an infinite loop in my head. The small excerpt of the song, taken from the catchy chorus of the Tech N9ne song "Red Kingdom," has come to serve as a sort of Republican anthem on the popular social media app, used by conservatives for boasting and by liberals for mocking.

When used seriously by TikTokkers who do in fact want to proclaim their love for their sole leader Donald J. Trump, it evokes a sense of unadulterated servitude to me, a proud yet somewhat blind following. These are people who wholeheartedly, undoubtedly, unwaveringly associate with the Republican Party, the Red Kingdom, and, most importantly, Trump. The purpose of these videos is sometimes to defend Trump, or sometimes to attack liberals, but never fails to end with "Trump 2020," "Make America Great Again," or any number of propagandistic slogans spoon-fed to them by the Trump campaign. As memories of these videos infiltrated my understanding of Brownstein's argument, I couldn't help but wonder — does Trump really have anything to worry about?

But, before we get to that, let's review.

Based on polls, empirical evidence, and quotes from a number of respected political consultants across party lines, Brownstein carefully crafts an argument that Trump's reelection campaign could be in serious trouble. Whether it be due to drastic underestimation and mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis, or his unfiltered and brutal attacks on the widely popular BLM movement, Brownstein (and others) believe that Trump has not positioned himself well going into November. They argue he is the "chaos president," coined by Jeb Bush on the 2016 campaign trail, and that many Americans are beginning to tire of the uncertainty of such an approach. Brownstein also adds that this image challenges the law-and-order policy Trump promises, offering polling stats that demonstrate the American public's lack of faith in Trump's ability to supply stability when he himself is so volatile. And these seem like very solid arguments, founded in very real findings.

Yet I imagine the army of MAGA-capped, Red Kingdom-singing Republican TikTokkers and remain unconvinced.

Call me a pessimist, but Brownstein's logic did not satisfy me, largely because I believe Trump's success cannot be rooted in logic at all. It is inherently illogical. Of course the woefully incompetent, unempathetic, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic reality-TV-star-turned-president cannot lead us to safety or unity in these times of crisis. That much is obvious. But his core group of supporters will not waver, no matter how many carefully crafted, logical explanations are offered to them to do so.

Donald Trump has managed to garner almost a cult-like following, securing their blind support no matter what atrocity he commits next. I'm not sure whether it's the excitement of his unpredictability, or the admiration for his inability or unwillingness to mince words (translation: willingness to be outright racist), or if they really do just 'like what he's done for the economy,' but this group of die-hard, stone-cold Trump supporters will be punching his name on the ballot as if their lives depend on it.

Which, ironically, they do.

And I recognize that, historically, most presidents have had a dedicated following, a nucleus of advocates who would be unlikely to ditch their candidate when things get tough. But I've witnessed a few too many rally cheers and I've read a few too many Fox News comments to know that this is a different breed of supporters — vocal, abrasive, toxic, and undoubtedly convinced Trump is their straight-talking savior. And it is this band of cult conservatives who could guarantee another four years of chaos in Washington.

So while, yes, Trump's insane disregard for civility (or, as some say scornfully, 'political correctness') could be a turnoff to some ambivalent voters, they weren't the votes he was counting on anyway, and I'm not sure he would've cinched their votes even if he tried. Trump has done a remarkable job of further polarizing a population already considered to be divided, and I doubt very many voters lie in the middle, waiting to be persuaded by his actions. Brownstein recognizes this unlikelihood, noting there is already a "stable and substantial audience" for Trump's chaotic approach to presiding.

So, while Trump's law-and-order branding may not be fooling anyone, the Red Kingdom isn't looking to be fooled. They know who they're voting for.