Trump plays the fear card on the economy – and it seems to be working
Donald Trump had an apocalyptic warning for a group of farmers in swing state Pennsylvania: If he loses the election, “You won’t have a farm very long.”
Trump spoke Monday at an event highlighting his vow to protect rural Americans from the perceived predatory power of China, at which he also showed that when he tries to focus, he can assemble effective, populist economic arguments that help explain his dominance in polls on the most important issue in the election.
But Trump’s prediction about mass bankruptcies in the agricultural sector also echoed a familiar refrain — one that is the foundation of his pessimistic political creed. The ex-president adapts this construct to almost any audience as he evokes a vision of a nation wracked by crime, economic blight and an immigrant invasion.
Most politicians court voters by offering them an optimistic vision, peddling hope and promises of change. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is seeking to sweep away Trump’s somber picture of America in crisis by invoking joy and a new kind of “opportunity economy.” Trump, however, mostly dishes out fear and threats.
He, for instance, warned Americans at his debate with Harris that “you’re going to end up in World War III.” In a Fox News Town Hall earlier this month, he warned that “this country will end up in a depression if she becomes president. Like 1929.” He brands Harris a “communist” and “Comrade” as he implicitly argues that if he loses, America won’t have an economy anymore.
In another twist of his extreme rhetoric, Trump also seems to be seeking scapegoats should he lose the election in just over 40 days.
