The Coalition of Republicans Behind Trump’s Reelection - Who Was Working Behind the Scenes to Secure his Second Win?
Photo Courtesey: Flickr
Earlier this month, former (and now future) President Donald Trump secured an unprecedented victory against Vice President Harris, wielding working-class America’s contempt for the Biden economy and their alarm at the inflow of illegal immigrants to sweep every battleground state.
Trump’s stunning political resurrection was not, however, the result of a haphazard operation reminiscent of his 2016 campaign. This time, the Trump machine was organised. Relying on an uncharacteristically disciplined coalition, Republicans were able to propel their populist crusader back into the White House.
Of his network of backers, none seem to have been as effective as Susie Wiles in their endeavour to realise Trump 2.0. A 67 year old Floridian and veteran political operator, Wiles co-chaired the 2024 Trump campaign and seems to be one of few individuals in Trump’s orbit capable of directing him into a disciplined mode of messaging. Wiles was able to thread the needle of allowing Trump to be Trump, with all of the vitriolic rhetoric and erratic behaviour that follows, while having him deliver a coherent narrative that damned the incumbent Democrats and energised those who feel abandoned by the current economic order.
Avoiding the spotlight, Wiles worked to laser-focus the campaign’s efforts on motivating low-propensity voters to head to the polls for Trump, resulting in the ‘red wave’ we saw materialise on election night. Now in line to be the first female White House Chief of Staff, Wiles will continue to be instrumental in this daunting era of American politics.
Aside from political aides like Wiles, Trump was bolstered by the donations of ultra-wealthy Republicans, the most infamous being Elon Musk. The richest man in the world burst onto the political scene during this cycle, unequivocally backing Trump in a move that may or may not have something to do with Trump’s agenda to protect so-called ‘free speech’. This would entail the rolling back of regulations, continued persecution of minority communities, and relaxing of laws surrounding the malevolent misinformation that Musk profits from. Far from the environmentalist Obama voter he used to be, Musk donated approximately $118 million to his America PAC in support of a climate-change denialist with dictatorial tendencies.
Such sums are incomprehensible to us Britons, considering that our political parties are obliged to spend no more than £34 million each on their general election campaigns. The inordinate donations from Musk and other wealthy figures enabled Trump to access invaluable political resources (most notably TV adverts) and create the conditions for an election blowout.
Musk is now set to be rewarded with a leading role in the next Trump administration, spearheading the newly conceptualised ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’ With his businesses profiting from billion dollar deals with the federal government - while also being subject to investigation from its various agencies - Musk’s presence will create conflicts of interest exemplifying the threat this administration poses to American democracy.
The wider Republican ecosystem, now blindly and doggedly devoted to MAGA doctrine, also formed a core component of this coalition. Congressional Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, torpedoed a bipartisan Senate bill aimed at cracking down on border crossings over fears that improvements to the immigration system would neutralise Trump’s signature issue. The online ‘manosphere’ of podcast and social media personalities rallied behind the world’s most notorious misogynist, propagandising for a man publicly accused of 26 cases of sexual assault in a gross display of insecure masculinity. And the right-wing press, led by Fox News, continued to foment the division and despair felt by American voters left abandoned by establishment politics.
The coalition behind Trump’s re-election was a fascinating amalgam of figures from the darker corners of politics, business, and media, ruthlessly driving an operation that slingshotted a convicted felon back into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. One wonders if they understand what they have unleashed, both upon the world and themselves.