The Trump era has been a tumultuous time for America. It was definitely a first, and most Americans will remember the historical series of events that it sparked—the initial mockery of his presidential campaign, the shock when he actually won the presidency, the anxiety in anticipation of the 2020 election, and joyful partying in DC after President Biden’s win. Even after he left the White House, former President Trump continued to capture the nation, especially now with two new bombshells—the launch of his special Trump NFTs and the announcement of his presidential campaign for 2024.
Many ridicule the new NFTs as a mere “cash grab.” This is certainly true since they brought in over $4 million. However, the release may also serve a secondary purpose—a desperate attempt to excite the public over a faltering presidential campaign.
Trump’s popularity has been decreasing since he left office. Polls report that 54% of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of him and this percentage has been increasing since 2021. Without the statistics, it’s clear that his image has suffered since he was in office. With the Jan. 6 hearings and the documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago resort, it definitely doesn’t look good to start a campaign while facing criminal charges. This slowdown in excitement for Trump, as well as the Republican Party in general, was evident when Republicans did not gain the overwhelming majority in Congressional elections this past November. The party has been weakened and division over the ex-president stands in the middle. That’s why it makes sense that, in an age of political uncertainty in the Republican party, Trump is raising money through provocative, eye-catching NFTs to strengthen his waning control over Capitol Hill.
Though it may seem like the public is unsure about Trump, his reentry into politics isn’t necessarily far off and we must not underestimate him again, like in 2016. The astronaut and cowboy-themed NFTs may seem ridiculous, but so did his presidential campaign right before he won the election. The former president knows just how to get his supporters agitated, employing catchy slogans, eyebrow-raising merchandise, and even selling teddy bears. It’s no surprise that he is using NFTs to profit, as suggested, but also to bring attention back to his campaign.
There is much in politics that has turned the tide against Trump in recent years, but the circumstances that make him so appealing to Americans are still prevalent. For example, current President Biden’s disapproval rating is also very high, at 51%. Many may point to inflation since presidents typically become unpopular during economic hardship. If inflation gets worse or the U.S. enters a recession, there’s no telling what could happen—it’s plausible that Trump could become popular again if the timing is right. At the moment, economists are split on whether a recession could hit this year, so frankly anything could happen between now and the next election that could sway public opinion.
Moreover, as economic hardship continues, people often look for scapegoats. The hateful sentiments that Trump feeds off of in his rhetoric have not gone away, as is obvious from the rapid spread of Kanye West’s antisemitism and Andrew Tate’s misogyny among their social media followers. This trend is already taking place even without Trump, so it’s easy to see how he could capitalize on this in his campaign as he has done in the past. If this continues, this could provide another opportunity for Trump to sweep in and win the presidency once again.
Anyone can speculate about this, but the real truth is that we’ll never know. Elections are a little less than two years away and that is a lot of time for things to change. We don’t know if there’s going to be a recession. We don’t know what actions President Biden or Trump will take. We don’t know what Democrats or Republicans will do during that time. It’s possible that President Biden does something that brings his approval rating way up, bringing more people to the Democratic Party in 2024. But while it’s great to have that hope, it’s also important to know the reality—Trump’s political influence isn’t going away anytime soon, no matter what seemingly absurd things he does.
Written by Zoe Duni of Walter Johnson High School