ROME, November 8. /TASS/. Joe Biden, who has won the US presidential election according to the projections of the country’s leading media outlets, was the right candidate to beat incumbent US President Donald Trump, however, he might turn out to be a weak president, especially if he cannot count on the Senate’s support, Research Coordinator and Head of the Global Actors Program of the Istituto Affari Internazionali (Italy) Riccardo Alcaro told TASS on Sunday.
According to the expert, Democrats made the right choice in putting Biden against Trump. "In the end, Trump has shown himself to be a real politician, a very skilled candidate. This time, he got 8 mln more votes than four years ago, so he expanded his electoral base. Trump has surpassed all expectations, but Biden has managed to beat him. The fact that Biden’s individual results were better than the party outcomes shows that people who did not vote for the Democrats voted for him. This means that if not for Biden, many would not have voted, or they would have voted for Trump," Alcaro stated.
However, he pointed out that many of the votes for Biden were protest votes against the current president. "However, if there was a different candidate instead of Biden, we don’t know whether he would satisfy [the voters] or not. Betting on Biden was what helped avoid Trump’s reelection," he added.
Alcaro pointed out that it is not easy to beat the incumbent president, who usually has certain advantages. "Biden is the right and strong candidate, but he might be a weak president. It all depends on whether the Democrats can get the majority of seats within the Senate," the expert said. If not, Biden’s presidency will be at a disadvantage, he added.
According to the Italian researcher, Biden’s position as president may be undermined by Trump’s planned contest of the vote. "If the Senate stays Republican, Biden will be fully absorbed in domestic issues, but both Republicans and Democrats will agree on the matters regarding Russia, and they will have the president on their side, unlike with Trump," he stated.
‘Trumpism’ here to stay
Alcaro is confident that Trump will retain his influence, and "Trumpism" is not a temporary phenomenon. It is likely to be the dominant one among rightwing voters. "Trumpism supposes a political agenda, a political tone characterized by acute nationalism, xenophobia and authoritarianism. At the same time, no one shies away from challenging any democratic norm, if it does not suit one’s interests, no one respects the truth, disinformation is often used. This style is characterized by attempts to demonize any opponent," the expert said.
"When it comes to the political agenda, Trumpism means protectionism, revision of immigration norms, namely related to legal migration, an attempt to return to the country’s industrial base, lowering taxes, and in foreign policy - using military and economic pressure instruments against opponents and partners alike. All those elements will remain active with the Republicans and they will dominate among US right-wingers, who are supported by about half of the population. This will help Trump remain a notable figure, as he’ll be able to influence his voters, he’ll be able to control Congress from outside and perhaps even run again in 2024," Alcaro concluded.