The fact that the US Republican Party convention currently underway in Cleveland has approved Donald Trump as a presidential candidate is news from a series of expected ones. You had to be a committed member of the Democratic Party to hope for a Republican rebellion that could make a candidate a man who won four times fewer votes than Trump in the primary vote (this was exactly the gap between first and second in the internal party race). But if the confirmation of Trump’s candidacy is no longer even an event, then what is happening with the oldest party in the United States, its ideology and tactics is an event that is extremely serious for our world. In the end, candidates and presidents come and go, but the party has existed since 1854 and will continue to live.
Anti-democratic horror
For the current congress, the party has updated its program. Democratic publications (and there are very few others in the United States; Democrats know a lot about control over the media) have already spoken out about it. is this: it's a shock.
Namely: no excuses for abortion, the Bible should be taught in schools, coal is a clean source of energy, the institution of “family value judges” should be introduced, female soldiers should not be sent into battle, no same-sex marriage, merchants have the right not to serve same-sex couples... Anti-democratic horror. Although I would say that according to this, internal, part of the program, the Republicans just look like normal people, albeit not without oddities.
The document, of course, must be read in its entirety. You can follow the link I just provided, from where there is another link - to the program in PDF format. And you will see what the Democrats also noted and, understandably, ridiculed: the worldview of the Republicans is “not a step back”; we cannot continue to tolerate everything that “real” Americans call the collapse of America, the triumph of the lifestyle personified by the Democrats.
That is, we are faced with not just an election campaign, but, as has been noted more than once, one that reveals a catastrophic split in the American nation.
But here is the last section of the program, the one that concerns foreign policy... In Russia, they noted the story that Trump’s assistants persuaded the authors of the program to delete from it the clause regarding the need to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine. I don’t know if this is important if all the other points in the section are beyond the bounds of reason. Except, perhaps, for many paragraphs about the fact that America must again learn to respect its military and war veterans. You read it and think that we are talking about Russia in the 90s. Are things really as bad for them as they were for us then?
Two and a half wars
The Republican platform makes no secret of the fact that the party's goal is to return the country (and the world) to the days of Ronald Reagan, to the concept of the US ability to fight "two and a half wars" at the same time, and to what no state or even group of states could throw at the country. call.
The threats to America in the Republican version are in this order: an emboldened China with its actions in the South China Sea; a resurgent Russia, occupying part of Ukraine and threatening neighbors from the Baltics to the Caucasus; and a network of aggressive Islamic terror in the Middle East.
China has been accused of a "return to Maoism" and a host of sins, especially driving American businesses out of markets. A lot has been said about China in general.
About Russia - less, and in a rather interesting way. "As we address the people of Russia, we affirm our respect and our determination to maintain friendship, regardless of those who would divide us. We have common imperatives: stopping terrorism, combating nuclear proliferation, promoting trade and much more. We also have common problem: the ongoing erosion of personal freedoms and fundamental rights under the current government in the Kremlin.
Repressive at home and careless abroad, their policies threaten nations that gained self-determination after the collapse of the USSR. We will respond to Russian hostility with the same determination that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. We will not accept any territorial changes imposed by force in Eastern Europe, in Ukraine, Georgia or anywhere else, and will apply the necessary constitutional measures to bring to justice those who practice aggression and murder."
There's a lot more interesting stuff in the international section, including a pretty stern rebuke to Europe for not spending money on its defense, etc.
But the main thing is that no Trump will return the United States to the days of Reagan, simply because the economic and strategic balance of forces in the world has irreversibly changed. George Bush learned this the hard way (too late). Barack Obama understands this well, with his caution, cursed by the Republicans. But someone, as we see, pretends not to understand.
Unpopularity contest
The question is who exactly is that “someone”. The party program in the USA is a document drawn up by a group of people and also read by a rather narrow circle. Democrats, of course, compare the program of the previous elections (2012) with the current one and say that it was Trump who imposed his crazy views on the party. But is it? And can we assume that if Trump becomes president, he will literally implement all the points of this document - by the way, in domestic politics too?
Perhaps not. The fact is that just the current Republican convention in Cleveland showed that an organizational and ideological revolution in the party is ongoing and does not end.
Incredible things are happening - a man who a year ago was not considered a real Republican by the party's leadership has won so many supporters that the party is either falling apart or being completely renewed. But he doesn’t have a powerful team or that much money.
Again, democratic propaganda notes that the convention was ignored by the heavyweights - the Bush family, Senator John McCain... But look at the grievances and dramas that unfolded around Trump’s choice of vice president. Not at all lightweight characters, they hardly hide their disappointment, but they hope that at least they will eventually receive the post of prosecutor general.
Why is this so? Is it because Trump has a chance to win the election and make the party something different? One of the Washington Post analysts has interesting information on this matter. He says: don’t look at who the Americans prefer (that is, answer the question: “who will you vote for?”), look at who they can’t stand. It is known that presidential candidates in the upcoming elections are breaking records of unpopularity. Moreover, this unpopularity has dynamics.
The split of the nation is like this. When, instead of choosing the best, they go to the polls to vote against someone completely unacceptable.
And one last thing. Everything that is happening is very reminiscent of a sharp, if not catastrophic split in British society, on a different - but in fact on the same - issue: globalism (that is, the EU) or national revival. In such a situation, literally anything is possible in both countries. Not necessarily good, including for Russia.
“A clown is running for president,” The New York Post ran on its front page on June 17, 2015, the day after eccentric billionaire Donald Trump announced his presidential ambitions. Almost a year later, however, Republican nominee Donald Trump is mulling over his vice presidential candidacy and meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan to secure the support of party bosses. Lenta.ru studied how the tycoon managed to deal with the “internal party opposition” and tried to imagine what awaits him in the future.
Almost all American media spoke in a similar vein with The New York Post a year ago: for several months, news about the Trump campaign on the Huffington Post website was posted in the “Entertainment” section. Other media referred to him only as a “famous TV presenter” or an “eccentric tycoon.”
Almost no one believed in his success. In March 2015, the National Rifle Association of the United States organized a massive meeting of voters with prominent Republicans, and even Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's speech was attended by more people than Trump. A month later, a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll found that two-thirds of Republican voters couldn't imagine ever supporting a billionaire. Experts have time and time again predicted Trump's imminent collapse. Why were they all wrong?
Elephant split
Analysts promised over and over again that the eccentric billionaire’s star was about to set, and therefore Trump’s opponents were in a good mood until the very last moment. After losing the Indiana primary, Cruz launched his campaign, effectively opening the door to Trump.
Photo: Amir Levy / Zuma / Globallookpress.com
“The Republican electorate was so disgusted with the status quo that they were looking for someone to come in and overturn it. Cruz, with his Harvard and Princeton education, was able to outline it, but Trump just came and moved on it,” said former US congressman Newt Gingrich, who advised the billionaire before his nomination and, according to CBS, may become his vice president. On May 12, he openly spoke out in support of it.
Donald John Trump (Donald John Trump) was born on June 14, 1946 in a family of four children. He was a difficult child and already in elementary school he was distinguished by obnoxious behavior. At the age of 13, his parents decided to send Donald to the New York Military Academy in the hope that at least there he would be taught discipline. During his time at the Academy, Donald learned the true meaning of competition and realized that To achieve what you want, it's good to be a little aggressive.His father, Fred, was most involved in Trump's upbringing. It was as if they were cut from the same cloth. It is not surprising that it was Donald who became Fred's favorite: he was the only one who could resist his father's toughness, uncontrollable temperament and difficult character. The father passed on to his son a sense of exactingness, which helped Trump become New York's largest post-war developer. Fred taught his son consistency and the ability to influence a person's motivation. One of Donald's father's most important lessons was how to use other people's money, especially taxpayers' money, and how to use your own reputation to generate high dividends. Trump ignored only one invaluable lesson from his father: how to avoid the troubles associated with such “entrepreneurship.”
Before plunging into the world of business people, Trump, at the request of his father, went to college. And despite minor successes, in 1964 the father sent his son to Fordham University, from where two years later Trump transferred to University of Finance and Commerce Warton School of Pennsylvania.
Donald's behavior differed from the usual behavior of a student: he did not drink, did not smoke, and became famous as a playboy much later. Studying did not become a priority for Trump; he dreamed of creating his own empire. A former classmate of his recalled that Donald constantly talked about changing the Manhattan skyline. Helping his father, Trump became interested in real estate and decided that he wanted to get into this business at all costs, but even more seriously than his father.
How Donald Trump got rich
While Trump was still a student, he and his father decided to buy a bankrupt 1,200-unit complex called Swifton Village in Cincinnati, Ohio. Amazingly, government funding for this Trump project exceeded its actual price, which allowed entrepreneurs to carry out restoration work on the depreciated building without investing a dime. The complex was purchased for less than $6 million and sold within a year for $12 million. Donald realized in time that the government would help low-income people acquire property, and he knew better than anyone how to get such help. This incident marked the beginning of the activity future construction magnate.
But things weren't always easy for Donald. Although his first investments were very successful, he remained unsatisfied. Donald has always had a great interest in New York. He believed that this city would become his gold mine. Arriving here, Trump rented, by his standards, not the best apartment in Manhattan, but the move itself allowed him to be in the very heart of New York, where he had the opportunity to directly enter the real estate market. Walking through the streets, Donald carefully studied the buildings. He believed that in the future this knowledge would help him create his own name.
Trump understood well: in order to penetrate the powerful world and “get” elite clients, he needed make friends with politicians and prominent bankers. Donald set himself the task of entering a club that was closed at that time for rich people of French origin. Without strong recommendations, it was almost impossible to realize this dream. Therefore, Donald chose a different path: the young businessman sought meetings with the club manager and finally became the owner of the coveted card. Membership in the most prestigious club actually gave Trump the opportunity to contact the richest clients: top managers, oil kings, union bosses, successful models - in short, regulars of such establishments. Trump became one of them. Fantastic deals were made away from prying eyes, contracts worth millions were concluded.
Donald's first steps in New York as a real estate developer went unnoticed. Even though his price proposals were more promising than those of his competitors, Trump continually failed. His early fame and fortune seemed to be fading. Perhaps the reason for this was youth and inexperience, which raised doubts among older and experienced developers. However, this did not stop Donald, he became more single-minded and aggressive, like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum and not getting what he wants.
Taking raising capital from his father, Trump made his first independent deal in 1974. From the bankrupt railway company Penny Central Railroad, he bought the Commodore Hotel, built at the beginning of the 20th century and already very dilapidated, adjacent to the Grand Central station. Trump managed to persuade the city authorities to grant him a deferment of property taxes for 40 years, the banks to issue loans for $70 million to finance the construction of a new hotel on the site of the Commodore, and the Hyatt Corporation to provide its brand. And soon the luxurious Grand Hyatt hotel appeared in place of the decrepit Commodore.
From the very beginning, Trump was incredibly lucky. A few years before the legalization of gambling in Atlantic City (New Jersey) in 1976, he began buying land there. By 1982, this land was already worth more than $20 million.
But what really made him the largest New York developer was the construction of Trump Tower. In 1979, he received a multi-year lease for $45 million on a department store building on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in Manhattan. The building stood next to the Tiffany boutique. “New York is a minefield. You’re dead if you don’t know where you’re stepping,” Trump explained. “And Tiffany always takes the best place in any city in the world. I just couldn’t pass up such an offer.” On the site of the department store, he planned to build a majestic building, which would contain only first-class shops, offices and apartments. Trump quickly negotiated a loan with the banks, but unexpected difficulties arose. The mayor refused to provide a $50 million tax break; he said the law was designed to stimulate the construction of affordable housing, not an elite complex. The entire ambitious project was in jeopardy. Donald went to court, but the judge sided with the city. The appeal was also unsuccessful. It seemed Trump would have to come to terms. But unexpectedly, the next court ordered the municipality to provide Trump with tax breaks. Then Trump called this strategy “fight until you win” and always followed it.
Three years later, in 1982, the magnificent 68-story Trump Tower, at the time the tallest and most expensive reinforced concrete structure in New York, was unveiled. The building featured a six-story atrium, a 25-meter waterfall and a pink marble lobby. Trump Tower has become a real Klondike. In 1988 alone, Trump received $100 million from this building (another $90 million was received by other co-owners) and $30 million for the land underneath.
The 1980s became Trump's golden time - all his projects gushed out in millions. Although Trump had never been known for modesty, his behavior now bordered on delusions of grandeur. When asked how things were going, he began to answer simply: “It’s good to be Donald.”
Trump's power was finally recognized with the completion of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in 1979.
The 58-story complex of shops and apartments with an 80-foot waterfall attracted everyone's attention, which, in fact, was Donald's dream. The fashionable building attracted the attention of famous store owners and celebrity tenants such as Sophia Loren and the King of Saudi Arabia. The building has become a Trump trademark. Trump Tower saw a huge number of tourists and became a clear example of great financial success. When competitors tried to force Donald out of the market by lowering prices, Trump, on the contrary, raised them. He figured it out correctly: it's not the price that worries wealthy consumers. Thanks to a well-calibrated advertising campaign, New York's moneymakers did not skimp on purchasing office space in Trump Tower. The “golden” meters were sold out overnight. This once again proved that Donald Trump understands the psychology of the rich. He had found his niche and was going to exploit all its possibilities.
Donald Trump's entertainment empire: gambling business
Having completed the construction of Trump Tower, Donald turned his attention to Atlantic City, where he dreamed of creating entertainment empire. He attracted his younger brother Robert to the new idea so that he would lead the project of purchasing land and obtaining a license to engage in the gambling business. Holiday Inns Corporation offered to collaborate, and in 1982, a $250 million complex called Harra opened. Trump bought Holiday Inns in 1986 and renamed the establishment Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, which became as iconic in Atlantic City as Trump Tower in New York. Donald also bought the Hilton hotel-casino in Atlantic City, but when the corporation could not obtain a gambling license, he renamed the $320 million complex Trump Castle. A little later, in 1990, he bought the most expensive hotel-casino in the world, the Taj Mahal.
At the peak of his wealth in 1989, Trump's $1 billion empire (in addition to Trump Tower and the Atlantic City casino) included Trump Parc, which consisted of 24,000 rental properties and apartments, the Trump Shuttle Airline, a riverboat casino in Indiana, a soccer the New Jersey Generals of the US Football League, Trump Castle and luxury private homes.
The book “The Art of Survival” written by Trump was intended for those who comprehend the mechanisms of business relations and want to achieve success. While giving lectures in America, Donald wipes the noses of those who previously disdained him. In The Art of Survival he states, “I set myself high goals to achieve what I become after this.” Donald Trump emphasizes that starting a business is an ability that a person is born with because it is genetically determined. He has always been guided by this conviction in his business.
Donald Trump takes risks
It was at that moment when Trump felt that he had achieved everything he wanted, due to a lack of management experience, he began to lose control of his own business. The great tycoon loved to make acquisitions in the real estate market through other people's money. His partners included lenders from major banks such as Citicorp, Chase Manhattan and investment firms such as Merrill Lynch. In order to receive loans, Trump paid a lot of attention to public opinion. He used the image created by the media to impress bankers. He also had a close relationship with a Chase Manhattan Bank real estate executive who preferred to build long-term relationships with high-end clients, which Donald Trump embodied. These relationships made it possible to obtain financing without formal review of each loan request (Trump was not always able to meet the necessary requirements). Ultimately, Donald was unable to balance his current assets with his mounting unpaid debts. Market instability, requiring large investments, promised Trump bankruptcy. Information began to leak into the press that not all was well with the brilliant and charming Donald. In addition, there was talk about problems in the tycoon’s personal life. Trump was at a loss: the empire was slipping out of his hands, the most powerful man in New York was becoming helpless.
However, the banks were not in the best position at that time. They provided Trump with money without much concern for how successful his operations would be.
Banks that had never before financed a gambling business financed Trump's empire, more enamored with his name and previous successes than with any specific arguments.
Donald built huge casinos, apartment complexes full of lights, hotels, Aeroflot and gave them his name. Banking officials, dazzled by Trump's charm, thought they would make huge profits. But in reality it looked like they sold their souls to the Devil, because if Trump had failed, they would have been unlucky.
Donald Trump is losing money
In 1990, Trump found himself in the sticky position of being unable to repay more than $2 billion in loans. While it might be possible to secure some emergency financing, the tradeoff would be to hand over more than just control and management of more to the creditor banks. part of real estate, but also 10% of all earnings.
And yet, gradually losing control of the Trump Shuttle, the casino and the “plaza,” Trump had to do this in order to pay off the debt as quickly as possible. Creditors were hard to break. Ultimately, the litigation became like a tug of war: whose name would suffer more, theirs or Trump’s. When they wanted to provide Donald with money, the banks were constrained by the current situation. The credit crisis forced federal agencies to take greater control of banks, which, in turn, limited their ability to cooperate with Trump.
After numerous negotiations with creditors, Trump hired a financier to oversee the Trump empire. The new administrator was responsible for the sale of the property. Donald's personal expenses were $450 thousand in 1990 and $300 thousand in 1992. However, Trump did not seem to lose hope. Like many New York developers, on the brink of bankruptcy, he tried to stay afloat. True, neither the media nor the public bought his optimism anymore.
What a rapid collapse in the early nineties! Some believe this was due to Trump's lack of clear strategies. For example, when he decorated a building or an airplane with his name, he thought it would immediately bring him money.
Trump was not a wizard, he was born with instinctive sense for profitable real estate ventures. Forbes magazine criticized Trump, arguing that his increasing debt would lead to the loss of more than two-thirds of his net worth.
Donald Trump's successes
Donald Trump achieved brilliant success in the real estate market, but paid a high price for it. He achieved a lot and quickly, but did not know how to plan. Trump's projects, like two sides of a coin, were profitable and deadly for investors at the same time.
Despite his failures and 53 years of age, Trump remains the most famous businessman in America. According to Gallap Organization research, 98% of Americans know him better than such famous businessmen as Jack Welch, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs or Ted Turner. According to Forbes magazine, Donald was ahead of his time and managed to remain in the spotlight. It is perfectly preserved, like a cryogen-frozen body. The love of money, success and fame drives him, prompting him to create large projects, amazing the city and the public.
There is another way of looking at Trump's activities. Fortune magazine surveyed several thousand wealthy people to rank 469 companies that are universally admired. Trump's casinos came in last place in 1999.
The fact is that Trump’s fortune allows him to invest capital in several projects simultaneously. Typically, one out of five investments will cover the rest, although Donald himself tries to refute this in his book The America We Deserve: “I don’t think everyone knows how big my business is. People prefer to talk about my personal life rather than the fact that I am building a 90-story building next to the UN... They judge me for every wrong step.”
Many of Donald Trump's partners talk about his incredible abilities and supernatural memory. But here's what's certainly hard to argue with: Trump will never play with security. Trump visits construction sites every day, shouting that the wrong kind of concrete is being used, that the marble is not flat enough, that the ceiling needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Trump should be everywhere. He states: if you want to do something well, you must do it yourself. He is the sole manager of his company, negotiating with subcontractors instead of relying on the purchasing department. But he is able to make the doorman or worker feel needed and important.
Trump's lifestyle hasn't changed much since the early 1980s, but his approach to doing business has. He has become more cautious, he does not refrain from investing large sums, and tries to cooperate with financial backers.
There are many who want to take advantage of the popular name: one company paid Donald $5 million for the right to place the Trump Tower inscription on a hotel in Seoul. Trump's opponents and competitors say that Donald is being used for their own financial interests, that Trump has become a brand, that his name is being sculpted on buildings that he is not the owner of. Trump always defends himself by saying: “I’m the biggest developer in the hottest city in the world.”
In Manhattan, Donald and his partner Daewoo built a huge 90-story building called Trump World Tower. The skyscraper is approximately 900 feet tall and is located on First Avenue. Hanging over Manhattan, it literally suppresses the “modest” 59-story UN building located opposite. They say that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is terribly dissatisfied with such a neighborhood, but what can be done if even the former mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, chose not to interfere.
On the west side of Manhattan, Trump and a group of Hong Kong investors own two buildings in an 18-building apartment complex above the Hudson River, again bearing Trump's name. This project was the last on Manhattan soil. Sales of apartments in both buildings generate huge income. As for Trump's three properties, he calls them "my other children": Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street and General Motors, which he bought in 1998 along with the insurance company Conseco. In addition, Donald Trump is the official owner of the Miss Universe pageant, a very popular and profitable enterprise, which is watched by about 2.5 billion people in more than 90 countries. Almost 700 foreign TV channels are buying the right to broadcast the competition. And if you consider that the beauties were seen by 150 million Internet users, then you can estimate how much profit advertising brought in at these events. But even this was not enough for Trump. In 2000, he ran in the presidential elections as a representative of the reform party.
Not everything is going smoothly for Trump...
Without his casinos, Trump would not be what he is today. Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, opened by Donald in 1995 under the name DJT, were once his salvation. It was they who, with the construction magnate’s then earnings of $140 million, helped repay the loans. Surprisingly, even after almost complete bankruptcy and unsuccessful investments, Donald's assets are in excellent shape. Trump's three New Jersey casinos account for nearly a third of Atlantic City's gambling revenue and compete with the new Taj Mahal mega casino, which has about 4,500 slot machines and generates $100 million in cash annually. The smaller Trump Marina's revenue is $53 million. If you add in revenue from Trump Plaza and the riverboat Outside Gary Ind., the Trump company's annual revenue is more than $240 million.
At first glance, the amount is impressive, but given that most of the proceeds are used to pay off high-interest debt of $1.8 billion, the company does not have much money left for reinvestment. Even less “goes” to shareholders.
The press often accuses Trump of using casinos as a “personal piggy bank.” This, for example, can be judged by the fact that the pilots of his personal Boeing 747 are on the company’s payroll.
Donald does not leave the media without gossip. For example, in 1996, after selling Trump Marina for what shareholders considered too high, Trump claimed it was a “great deal.” He angered investors when he used $26 million the company gave him in 1998 to pay off a personal loan for Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette. However, Donald himself completely denied the fact that he had misused the company's funds, promising to return the money. Well, Trump always knows how to make the best of a situation.
Many believe that the right decision for Trump would be to step away from governing. Manufacturing executives estimate that this single move could boost the company's share price by 30%. But Trump always chooses the opposite path. He proves that he can do without advice.
It’s quite strange that a person who “lives” in the media has no PR people. While even small tycoons protect themselves with “platoons” of press attachés, he relies only on his old assistant Norma Foederer (photo). Donald answers most reporters' inquiries personally, gaining fame as the most “accessible” businessman in the world.
Although Trump runs two companies with 22,000 employees, it’s not easy to feel like he’s under him—he’s not only the sole owner, but also the only employee. Both his former and current employees speak of Donald as a loyal, but not particularly generous boss. However, some shrug their shoulders when it comes to the popularity of their manager. Trump is ironic and ambitious. He is a purposeful workaholic, constantly in search, so it is difficult to blame him for using the desire to once again shock America as a stimulus for success. It seems that Trump’s name will always remain in the center of attention, because it’s not for nothing that his last name is translated as “trump card.”
Personal life of Donald Trump
Donald Trump is successful not only in business, but also on the love front. Throughout his life, Donald had three wives. Two of which were Slavs.
Ivana Zelnichkova, a native of Czechoslovakia, was married to a businessman for 15 years, from 1977 to 1992. She gave birth to a girl and two boys.
He and his second wife, Marla Maples, spent 6 years together, 1993 - 1999, and a girl was born from the marriage.
And the third wife, with whom Donald has been with since 2005 to the present, Melania Knauss (photo), Yugoslavian. She gave birth to a billionaire's boy.
Interestingly, without paying a cent, Donald Trump gave Melania a wedding gift. The platinum ring, worth $1.5 million, adorned with 15 diamonds weighing a total of 13 carats, he received as an advance for services that Trump provided to the Graff jewelry company.
Donald Trump Presidential Campaign
On June 16, 2015, multi-billionaire Donald Trump announced his intention to run for President of the United States of America from the Republican Party. The elections will take place on November 8, 2016. The main slogan of the election campaign is “Let's give America back its greatness!” During the election campaign, Trump does not hide his wealth, but, on the contrary, opposes himself to politicians who depend on “sponsors.”
Interestingly, the income statement filed with the Federal Election Commission turned out to be the longest in the history of the agency and amounted to 104 pages.
According to this certificate, Donald Trump's fortune as of May 2016 is over $10 billion.
On November 8, 2016, the elections for the 45th President of the United States took place. Republican candidate Donald Trump wins by a large margin, gaining 290 electoral votes against Hillary Clinton's 232 votes, and 16 electors could not decide for whom to vote. However, it is worth noting that among voters Hillary Clinton received more votes, 59,926,386, versus 59,698,506 for Donald Trump, according to CNN and politico.com
"America will never settle for less than the best."Trump said in his victory speech to voters.
On January 20, 2017, the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, was inaugurated.
How to become a millionaire according to Donald Trump:
1. Always dress according to your cultural level
2. Deliberately damage your reputation.
3. Become your own financial advisor
4. Let's change
5. Don't neglect hairdressing
6. Try to avoid handshakes
7. Follow your instincts
8. Stay optimistic, but be prepared for failure.
9. Pay attention to details
10. Sign prenuptial agreements
A year after the defeat, the Democrats are doing well, as evidenced by the results of the last gubernatorial elections. But the internal crisis in the party has not been overcome, and successes are largely explained by the mistakes of President Trump
On the morning of November 8, 2016, almost everything foreshadowed that Hillary Clinton would become the elected President of the United States, and the Republicans would have to recover for many months or even years from the shameful defeat and Trump’s candidacy. The Democrats were preparing for triumph.
In fact, the opposite happened: the party's voters stayed home, drowning the prospects of not only the former first lady, but also several senatorial candidates. In the congressional elections, Democrats were able to increase representation in both houses, but they failed to gain a majority. In fact, a year ago the party found itself on the verge of political bankruptcy.
The disaster was not even the defeat itself, but the sudden failure of the strategy of the party, which relied on two political heavyweights - Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who each in their own way trampled the entire democratic youth. The charismatic Obama was so good to the base Democratic voter that almost any bright young politician was inferior to him in comparison. Clinton, lacking charisma, simply did not allow such comparisons: even preparing for her first presidential nomination in 2008, the Clinton family and her allies concreted the political space for her in the party. Having been burned by the young Obama that year, the Clintons have gone through the party again since 2012, this time making sure that young politicians will not challenge it.
As a result, in November 2016, Democrats witnessed the defeat of a well-deserved but uninspiring Clinton and found that there were simply no young politicians in the party who would have federal campaign experience and would be familiar to voters. Moreover, the Democrats realized that they not only lack new faces, but also lack a constructive agenda for the next two years. They were preparing to be the ruling party and promote Clinton's rather impressive and well-developed program - she published an entire book on the eve of the elections describing the proposed reforms. However, in the role of opposition, the Democrats could only defend Obama's legacy and confront Donald Trump, who did nothing but revise this legacy.
However, criticism, even of such an unpopular leader, quickly bores the voter. The Democrats were faced with the fact that the chosen political model was not working: in all the by-elections in the spring-summer of 2017, they focused on criticizing Trump (and, of course, “Russian hackers”) and, as a result, lost. This led to some democratically minded publicists and experts calling on the party to abandon the fight against Trumpism as the only ideological basis.
And yet, in general, Trump’s year has been successful for Democrats, albeit unevenly: Republicans have not yet managed to advance a single significant legislative initiative, which was primarily facilitated by infighting within the party and the president’s chaotic management style. The party also has demography on its side: the share of the non-white population that traditionally supports Democrats will only grow.
Democrats' party strategy will still be taking shape ahead of the November 2018 elections, in which they will try to increase their representation in Congress and rehearse for the 2020 presidential campaign. The main fork the party faces is to move to the left, towards liberal progressives, where a significant part of Democratic voters, especially young ones, are drifting, or to the center, assuming that liberals will not go anywhere and will vote for a centrist from their party against any Republican candidate. This is an eternal fork in the road for American politics, and what parties usually do is flirt with the radicals in the primaries, and move toward the center closer to the elections. However, today, when the share of voters on the left and right is growing, and the number of independent and centrist-minded Americans is steadily declining, there is a temptation to work only with your core audience, without risking losing convinced supporters by shifting to the center.
An excellent illustration of the current state of affairs for Democrats is the results of the November 7 elections: in two states, New Jersey and Virginia, Democrats won by significant margins. A significant portion of those who voted for them motivated their choice by their rejection of Trump and his activities as president. However, Virginia Governor-elect Ralph Northam built his campaign on a promise to work constructively with the White House, while other Democratic pressure groups, including those associated with former President Obama, actively campaigned against Trump. The Democrats’ landslide victory was due precisely to the combination of anti-Trumpism (for the party’s base electorate) and the proposal of a constructive regional agenda.
New hopes?
Although the presidential elections are still three years away, the question of who will lead the party in them is already being actively discussed. Today in the Democratic camp there are proven trump cards, ambitious young politicians, and dark horses.
Perhaps the main presidential candidate today is former Vice President Joe Biden, who refused to participate in the 2016 elections due to the death of his son. He has already expressed his regret several times and his belief that in the last elections he would have been a better candidate - he would have brought the party the votes of angry white workers from Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which Clinton so lacked. Biden's main obstacle is his age; he turns 75 in November. However, he is only four years older than Trump.
Another powerful old man of the Democratic Party is 76-year-old Bernie Sanders. His success in 2016 was largely due to his uniqueness as an alternative to Clinton, as well as his left-populist agenda. Competing with him in this field—and most likely taking over leadership in this part of the political spectrum—is Senator Liz Warren. They represent the left wing of the party and will play on active criticism of Trump and the establishment in general, including within their own party; for example, Warren recently admitted that the Democratic apparatus played along with Clinton in the 2016 primaries. So Warren is trying to gain support from Sanders voters.
Clinton herself cannot be written off either. Today, her nomination in 2020 looks like a mockery, but after several years of Trump’s “successes” such a turn of events will be quite possible. During the promotion of her book “What Happened,” Clinton already stated that she had enough time at home and would not leave public life. However, she has little chance of a third political campaign; her party’s mistakes cost her too much.
Many in the party would like to see representatives of the new generation among the leaders. Several young members of Congress have made their presence known in recent months, but it is difficult to say whether Democratic voters will be ready to support Obama 2.0, a relative newcomer to politics, but charismatic and able to work with the electorate.
The same number of questions arise for potential candidates who come from business. Trump's experience shows that a businessman is not always successful in politics, especially if he has not built relationships with the establishment of his party.
Finally, there is a lot of speculative talk about the nomination of representatives of political dynasties - Michelle Obama or Chelsea Clinton. However, despite all the good attitudes towards these candidates, the previous election cycle showed how tired the voter is of the nepotism of American politics.
A year after the crushing defeat, the Democratic Party feels afloat, but this is largely the result of Donald Trump’s chaotic and conflicting policies towards his own party. Democrats would do well to stop externalizing their problems and blaming Hillary Clinton and Trump and the Russians for their defeat, and start developing a platform that is truly relevant to their voters, while maintaining a balance of elements of the traditional left and progressive agenda and maintaining a constructive centrist position. In this case, they will be able to transform last year's defeats into major victories in 2018 and 2020.
The election results can be called a stunning political sensation for America. Most forecasters and analysts were confident of Clinton's victory.
“America will never settle for less than the best,” Trump said in his victory speech to voters on Nov. 9.
“Our campaign is over, but our work has just begun, and we will do this work in a way that will make you proud of your president,” he added. Trump personally thanked former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who supported him during the election campaign. He also expressed gratitude to the former head of military intelligence, Michael Finn, who ensured the security of the election race.
“We will seek dialogue and partnership, not conflict,” Trump said, standing next to members of his family. This was also a message to the Clinton electorate, which definitely does not want Trump as its leader. The Republican has already taken the first step by expressing his respect for Hillary Clinton and her team, which he said has done a “tremendous job.”
During the pre-election period, tensions between the two politicians often exceeded the bounds of decency. Both candidates have done a lot to escalate this confrontation.
Now Trump will face a rather difficult task: he needs to convince the Democratic electorate that he is not a sexist and unbalanced xenophobe, but a completely consistent politician suitable for all Americans.
Hugging his red-dressed wife Melania, Trump left the stage, apparently stunned but happy. He admitted more than once that most of all in life he loves to win.
The audience chanted: “USA! USA!" The song by the British group The Rolling Stones “You Can't Always Get What You Want” was played.
Shock victory
Clinton's results can be compared with the results of Republican Mitt Romney, who lost to the current US President Barack Obama in 2012. Four years ago, Romney received 206 electoral votes to Obama's 332. In the general vote, Obama received 51% of the popular vote, while Romney received 47.2%.
Today the gap between Clinton and Trump is much smaller. According to CBS, 47.2% of Americans who came to vote voted for the Democrat, and 47.9% voted for the Republican.
Trump managed to win in key US states, including Florida, where he was able to mobilize his supporters among white Americans. Trump also managed to win Ohio. This victory is considered mandatory for every Republican who wants to become president of the United States. In the 2012 elections, Democrat Obama won the elections in these states.
At the same time, Clinton’s loss in states that were traditionally considered democratic looks significant, Victoria Zhuravleva, leading researcher at IMEMO, noted in a conversation with Gazeta.Ru.
In her opinion, Trump’s victory is largely the result of protest voting. People want to see someone outside the traditional Washington establishment in the presidency.
That's what Trump was pushing in his latest campaign ad. “The only force that can remove this corrupt government is you, the Americans,” he argued.
“Trump’s victory is a new revolution. The same thing that Obama did, but from the opposite side. Anger has reached its maximum,” says Zhuravleva from IMEMO. She recalled the first presidential campaign of Barack Obama, who also ran under the slogan of change and also challenged Washington, although much less aggressively.
Like Obama, only angrier
Trump became the 45th president of the United States and will succeed Democratic President Barack Obama in January.
Along with Trump, his vice president, Indiana Governor Michael Pence, was elected. “Systemic” Republicans pin a lot of hopes on him. Unlike Trump, Pence is an experienced and respected politician within the party leadership.
The victory of the eccentric billionaire, who made his fortune in the construction industry, symbolizes a revolution in the American political system. Trump will become the first president in modern US history who has never held any political or government positions. He has been involved in business throughout his life, both in the construction and entertainment industries. His personal fortune is $10 billion.
An equally important result of the elections is that the Republicans, in addition to their president, gained control of both houses of the US Congress. This hasn't happened since the 1980s.
Trump positioned himself as an anti-establishment candidate and, despite lagging behind Clinton in all opinion polls, was able to attract voters dissatisfied with “official Washington.”
“Issues such as maintaining the liberal international order, spreading democracy, containing Russia, and portraying Vladimir Putin as the center of global evil—on which Clinton’s campaign was largely based—were found to be of little concern to the average voter, which is why the results turned out the way they did.” Dmitry Suslov, program director of the Valdai Club Foundation, deputy director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told Gazeta.Ru.
“These results indicate a deep split between the establishment and the American population,” the expert added. “The entire US elite needs to draw certain conclusions, and it seems that in this sense the US political system will be reformed. Trump’s victory is a colossal shock that cannot be left as some kind of accident and hope that in four years Trump will not be elected and everything will return to normal.”
Despite the fact that Trump was officially nominated as the Republican Party's presidential candidate, its leadership sees him as an outsider and has actually refused to support him for a long time. Former US President George W. Bush, as well as members of his administration, ignored the convention at which Trump was nominated for president.
According to many experts, Trump's victory will lead to either reformatting or a split within the oldest party in the United States.
It will be difficult for Trump to find a common language with the establishment of which he will become a part, since he has neither his own people nor a ready-made team that he will bring with him to the White House.
Child in big politics
During the election campaign, Trump repeatedly spoke positively of Russian President Vladimir Putin and said he would improve relations with the Kremlin. However, experts note that a warming of relations between Russia and the United States may not occur.
When discussing what Donald Trump’s victory means for Moscow, we must proceed from the fact that a very strong consensus has been formed in the United States regarding a negative attitude towards Russia, noted Nikolai Zlobin, head of the US Center for Global Interests. In the media, in society, in the business community, and most importantly, in the elite.
And any president—in this case, Trump—if he wants to improve relations with Russia, he will have to go against the sentiments of his elite, Zlobin emphasizes.
In his opinion, Trump does not have a huge need to do this.
“Donald Trump’s team is extremely anti-Russian. His vice president (if you remember the debates of vice presidents) has a much more negative attitude towards Russia than, for example, Hillary Clinton. Of course, the excitement and hysteria towards Moscow will subside, but it will be very difficult for Trump to realize the hopes that Russians have for him as a person who will begin to improve Russian-American relations, Zlobin told Gazeta.Ru. — Trump, of course, can do something unexpected and bright: for example, call Putin and invite him to America, start negotiations with him. But all this will be superficial, without touching on fundamental disagreements. And Trump is unlikely to want to fight his elite by abandoning other areas where he faces much more serious problems.”
US policy in Syria will most likely also change, but this should not be expected before spring, the expert believes.
"Trump said: 'Hillary is war, and I am peace.' But he did not mean, of course, that he would make peace, but that he would wage the war much more effectively than his predecessors. Trump may turn out to be a more decisive military leader and take a more active position in the fight against ISIS (the organization is banned in Russia - Gazeta.Ru). This is good, but we must keep in mind that then Washington will have more contradictions with Moscow and Damascus,” Zlobin believes.
He noted that in this sense, the new president will be highly dependent on who he chooses as his advisor.
“After all, Donald Trump is a child in politics. By winning this race, he performed some kind of miracle for an aspiring politician. But he will be very focused on his surroundings,” the expert concluded.
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