Trump Wins Again
Carefully curated soundbytes. Focus group tested taglines. Practiced rhetoric. Precise wardrobes. Entire campaigns undone by an unfortunate noise.
Politics is, above all, a matter of optics.
There are countless examples of the politically irradiated returning on new, strong platforms. The only commonality among them a rebranding that paints the candidate in an entirely new light, devoid of whatever misgivings that dogged them in the past. This is only possible when they are recast as whatever the voting public need so desperately at that time in spite of what they once were.
On July 13, 2024, there was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life. A lone gunman fired at the former President repeatedly, grazing him once at a Pennsylvania rally. The resulting chaos created what will be one of the most iconic images of the decade.
Trump, surrounded by security personnel attempting to cover him from more potential fire, raises his fist in defiance of bullets, injury, and, seemingly, their protection alike. Bloodied but unbent, he stands against the backdrop of a blue sky and an immaculate American flag that he will forever bleed to defend. At a time of deep political divide and economic uncertainty, this image tells voters exactly who is needed in the Oval Office. The message is only compounded when this image is shown in contrast to the current President.
A branding need not be true to be effective.
The timing of this photo could not be worse for Biden who is dealing with open rebellion in his party regarding his ability to govern. His cognitive decline, obvious since before his election in 2020, has become so severe that it can no longer be hand waived away by supporters with paltry excuses of fatigue or simple human error. Prior to the assassination attempt on his political rival, internationally renowned actors and predominant fundraisers were openly calling for him to step down lest he hand the reigns of power directly to Trump by merely continuing to campaign. The sentiment was then echoed by elected officials and supporters of the party. After a disastrous debate performance and the emergence of this campaign defining photo, the public images of both party leaders are diametrically opposed.
The period since his 2020 election loss has been one of scandal and litigation for Trump. He has been accused of mishandling classified documents, bribing sex workers, and outright attempting to overturn an election result. Even with some of these charges being successfully levied against him, the most poignant have in one way or another been dismissed or postponed in a manner that have allowed him to continue to run as the Republican nominee. Yet the lasting effects of these scandals have no doubt clung to him in the eyes of an electorate that uncharacteristically voted him in once and refused to do so for a second consecutive term. The images before that same electorate is now a frail man who has presided over the border crisis and skyrocketing inflation and the man in the photo above. The latter’s misdeeds and ongoing accusations evaporating before the need to right the catastrophes currently facing them.
In an age of political strongmen where voters are increasingly turning to anyone who seems capable of handling economic hardships, migrant crises, war reemerging in Europe, and pandemics with the grace and tact of a wrecking ball, there is a clear option in the upcoming 2024 US election. This perceived safety through power projection comes at the price of some civil rights and global unity. Although these too have been slowly but carefully and very successfully rebranded as weaknesses that can be exploited by our enemies and the global elite vying for power over us. Politics is, above all, a matter of optics.
This photo continues to make the rounds on social media, being so powerful that it is often not even accompanied by words. It tells the voting public all the story that it needs to know. It will remain a set piece of the conservative movement beyond the upcoming election, even as it’s use dies down, yet it’s impact has yet to be fully understood. There are images that so perfectly encapsulate a message or time period that they come to define them. Tiananmen Square’s Tank Man, the Fall of Saigon, and the execution of Nguyen Van Lem being some of the few. Trump’s stand after surviving an assassination attempt will one day be counted among them.
