Donald Trump’s behavior is, to my knowledge, anomalous in national politics.
No one behaves like Trump; no one comes close. If any other politician adopted Trumpian behavior or language, that politician’s career would likely implode.
Donald Trump Is Teflon Don For a Reason
Consider the heat Ted Cruz took for something so relatively benign as taking a poorly timed family vacation. Or the backlash Elizabeth Warren faced over false claims of Native American heritage. Consider more distant faux pas that derailed careers, like Bush 41 checking his watch during a debate. Or Michael Dukakis posing with that tank helmet. Or Hillary Clinton referring to prospective conservative voters as “deplorables.” Or Howard Dean’s unfortunate little yell. All were profoundly disruptive to the politician committing the act. And all pale in comparison to baseline Trump behavior.
Bear in mind: Donald Trump is currently on trial for allegations of rape. Think about that. On trial for rape. And it’s barely gaining traction in the news cycle. That’s how different the standard is for Trump.
And frankly, Trump deserves credit for crafting that standard. His outlandish behavior has been consistent enough to suggest authenticity. Similarly, he has never apologized for his behavior. He owns it and his base eats it up. The result has been the anomalous politician who can, roughly speaking, do and say what he wants.
Trump’s Behavior Is Unique
Trump’s outlandish behavior has been positively reinforced time and time again.
There’s not really an incentive for Trump to modify or normalize his behavior. Why would he? In fact, I suspect his popularity would wane if Trump normalized; Trump’s appeal, in large part, depends upon him acting more outlandishly than his contemporaries.
The behavior all relates back to the 2016 election when Trump stormed into the political conversation with his brash and unorthodox behavior. Trump set himself apart from a crowded GOP field – a field that failed to take Trump seriously – by consistently behaving in a headline-grabbing way. That’s what worked for him. Saying disparaging things about Carly Fiorina, Jeb Bush, or John Kasich. That’s what earned Trump the nomination. Speaking more brusquely about the southern border and John McCain and NAFTA. While the GOP field was adhering to the rigors of accepted decorum, Trump was speaking as if he were three beers deep at the local sports bar. And the voters loved it.
Trump won the GOP nomination and pivoted to the general election against Hillary Clinton. And naturally, he did the exact same thing. He talked about Hillary getting “schlonged” and he made disparaging remarks about POWs, and he called Hillary a “nasty woman” and he talked about “bad hombres” crossing the border.
And every single time he did or said something wild, the press went haywire, and Trump dug in. He never apologized and he never modified. The effect was an enhancement of the perception that Trump was in fact the anti-politician he claimed to be; the effect was that when Trump said he was going to enact change on Washington, that he was going to Drain the Swamp, the voters believed him.
Trump’s personal conduct was so deviant relative to the Washington norms or the standards of his peer politicians that it became easier and easier to believe that Trump’s executive conduct would also be deviant relative to the Washington norms or the standards of his peer politicians – which is exactly what voters wanted at the time.
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Harrison Kass is the Senior Editor at 19FortyFive. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
