Why Trump is on the verge of a comeback despite the storming of the Capitol

Three years ago, Trump was considered politically dead after fanatical supporters stormed the US Capitol. Now he is on the verge of a comeback. Because he can rely on the cynical calculations of the Republicans and the bad mood in the USA.

How could that happen? Three years ago today, there was bipartisan horror at the frenzied mob that violently broke into the venerable U.S. Capitol to block Joe Biden’s election victory and keep Donald Trump in office.

There was horror at the gallows that the rioters had erected in front of the Capitol and chants of “Hang Mike Pence!” chanted. There was horror among the representatives of the people who, in fear of their lives, had to flee to safety from the enraged Trump supporters.

Parts of the public were also horrified by the idol of the rebels: Trump had idly watched the escalation of violence on television for hours. And when he finally called the mob back, it was accompanied by a declaration of love.

Trump about to make a comeback?

Three years ago, Trump was considered politically finished. Today, however, he is on the verge of a sensational political comeback: he has the Republican presidential nomination as good as in his pocket. In opinion polls, Trump is ahead of incumbent Biden in crucial swing states. How could that happen?

The reasons are complex. They have a lot to do with the cynicism of Trump’s party colleagues, who quickly realized that their election chances would decline significantly without the fanatical, Trump-loyal fan base that the ex-president had developed for the Republicans.

And they have to do with the business model of the right-wing media, to which Trump brings ratings and for which they are even prepared to distort the truth. Even if they have to shell out millions in fines for spreading Trump lies, like FOX News had to do.

Biden preferred to push through his reform agenda

But some of the reasons can also be found in US President Biden and his Democrats. Biden’s central campaign promise was to smooth things over in the country, to overcome the bitterness and chaos of the Trump years and to ensure more civil coexistence.

Biden had recommended himself as an interim president: He wanted to be the grand seigneur of the old school, whose old work should consist of healing the wounds that the torn country had inflicted on itself in its ongoing culture war.

This election promise was quickly abandoned: Biden preferred to push through his reform agenda. After all, he had warned his party colleagues about the second impeachment trial against Trump. Knowing full well that the hopeless impeachment of the ex-president, who has already been voted out, would have one effect above all: closing the ranks of the Republicans.

Real existential needs of many Americans

And then the attitude to life has deteriorated dramatically in the three years since the storming of the Capitol. The country is struggling with escalating energy and food prices. Biden’s spending policy is also seen as a driver of inflation: billions for climate protection, billions for social welfare, billions for infrastructure, billions for wars on the other side of the world.

The Republicans are cleverly using the real existential needs of many Americans to create sentiment against Biden. The fact that he looks increasingly old, frail and confused doesn’t help calm him down either.

And so it could happen that the political leitmotif for a part of the population that might even decide the election was: Biden has to go! Anyone who feels this way will now see the instigator of January 6, 2021 as the lesser evil.