Last month, we made an analysis: Trump's election is more the result of
the collapse of the Democratic electorate than of an increase in thenumber of Republican votes[4]. Beyond this mathematical observation,
this election marks a consolidation of the Republican Party on its most
radical bases and shows its capacity to unify multiple currents of the
American right and far right, becoming over the last few years a mass
far-right party. ---- The transformation of the Republican Party took
place over a long period of time, and its genesis precedes Trump's first
election. If we can trace it back to the 1990s, with a hardening of the
lines of the Grand Old Party, the first firm turn probably took place in
2010, after the emergence of the Tea Party. Born in opposition to Obama
and rooted in libertarian ideas[1], this movement would have a great
influence on the Republican Party: during the 2010 midterm elections,
138 candidates had the support of the movement or came directly from it.
At the end of the elections, the Party won 63 seats in the House of
Representatives and secured the majority. Many figures began to see this
as a sign of a winning strategy: it was necessary to radicalize the
discourse, even if it meant resorting to racist and mendacious tactics.
It was notably the Tea Party that was at the origin of the "birther"
movement and questioned the fact that Obama was born on American soil.
This rumor had become so important that the president was forced to
respond to it.
A changing party
While Trump's victory in the 2016 primary was a surprise, it was rooted
in the transformation of a party in full radicalization. After a
nomination highly contested by the Republican establishment, his victory
in the presidential election will reinforce the idea that his racist and
conspiratorial speeches are a winning strategy. From this election
onwards, the entire Party has taken this path, encouraged by various
influence groups. Thus, a large number of former "nevertrumpers"[2]find
themselves in Trump's current entourage. The most notable is none other
than his vice-president J.D. Vance, who called Trump an "idiot" eight
years ago. This is the main feat of Trump and the Republican Party in
recent years: having succeeded in building an alliance bringing together
all the movements of the American right and far right.
The Pine Tree Flag is a symbol of the American revolution that
Republican activists have reappropriated in recent years. Paul Becker
Among these influence groups, one of the most important is the
Federalist Society, a conservative organization that interprets the
United States Constitution as it was written in 1787. One of its
strategies is to place its members in high positions in the judiciary. A
strategy that has paid off: of the nine current members of the Supreme
Court, six are from the organization. Among them, three were appointed
by Trump during his first term: a way to ensure the lasting support of
the organization, which now holds the highest judicial institution in
the country for a long time, with judges appointed for life. Following
these appointments, the Roe v. Wade decision was abolished, removing
protection for the right to abortion at the federal level.
This attack on abortion rights was also a promise made to the religious
groups that support Trump, evangelical Protestants, but also
fundamentalist Catholics - the American version of fundamentalist
Catholics - who have gained power in recent years within the Party.
The billionaires' millions
The vice-president-elect converted to Catholicism in 2019 after moving
closer to this movement that defines itself as "post-liberal" and dreams
of a theocracy[3]. A movement that was able to grow thanks to the
support of another key figure in the evolutions of the American
reactionary landscape: Peter Thiel. A multi-billionaire, he comes from
libertarian thought. His positions have become more and more
conservative over the years. In 2022, he was one of the biggest
contributors to the Republican Party, with more than $20 million in
donations. J.D. Vance was one of the candidates he directly supported
financially.
Speaking of billionaires, it's hard to ignore Elon Musk, the boss of
Tesla and X (ex Twitter), regularly the richest man in the world. While
he is often ridiculed, like Trump and other far-right figures, he is
driven by long-standing political projects, such as pro-natalism, a
eugenics movement that believes that individuals with a "good genetic
heritage" should reproduce as much as possible to improve humanity. As
a good billionaire, it is the libertarian lines that attract him the
most, associated with a good dose of conspiracy theories. In 2024, he
largely used his fortune to finance Trump's campaign, paying more than
$277 million. He will be warmly rewarded by being named "director of
government efficiency" just a few days after the election, a vague role
that should give him immense power over the US administration, and while
the State is the main client of some of his companies.
Hold the streets and the ballot boxes
Finally, if their share is minor in Trump's electorate, it is impossible
not to mention here the tolerance, even the support, that Trump has
shown over the years for various violent groups, from the disorganized
hordes of Qanon to neo-fascist groups like the Proud Boys. In 2020, when
asked if he condemned the latter, Trump replied: "Proud Boys, stand back
and stand by." Trump's connection to these groups is very real: without
condemning them firmly, he has secured the support of the most radical
fringes, at the ballot box but also in the streets. A few months after
his response, members of the Proud Boys were among the attackers on the
Capitol.
From libertarian billionaires to fascist militias, this is the tour de
force of the Republican Party in recent years: having succeeded in
uniting the right, whether economic, conservative or radical, under a
common banner, promising each group to serve all or part of its
interests. While the parallel has its limits, it is still difficult not
to see similarities with the French landscape, between the rallying of
part of LR to the RN during the last elections and the increasingly
assumed support of the country's billionaires for the extreme right. The
American example does not teach us how to overcome this alliance but
confirms that a reformist and centrist line is doomed to failure.
N. Bartosek (UCL Alsace)
Validate
[1]Libertarianism is an ideology that developed in the United States and
emphasizes individualism, rejection of the State and the defense of
private property. Most of its movements defend an ultra-conservative agenda.
[2]The "nevertrumpers" are Republicans who strongly rejected Donald
Trump's line and his candidacy in 2016.
[3]Benoît Gautier and Ludivine Gilli, "Who are the Catholic
fundamentalists, this young conservative guard that supports J. D.
Vance?", La Croix, October 2, 2024.
[4]"Trump's re-election: understanding and resisting", Alternative
libertaire, December 2024.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Etats-Unis-La-fascisation-du-Parti-republicain
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