Stoke fears and appeal to lower instincts – this is what US President Trump is about to do before the elections to the US Congress. Cynically, he exploits the fate of migrants.
US President Donald Trump sets in the final spurt of the congressional election campaign on his recipe for success, which brought him two years ago in the White House: He stirs fears and appeals to lower instincts. According to recent polls, Republicans fear that they will lose the majority in the House of Representatives in the Tuesday elections. Trump could not go through with it as easily as before. He definitely wants to prevent that.
The US President cynically uses the fate of migrants from Central American countries. Out of desperation over violence and lack of prospects in their home countries, several thousand have made their way to the north. They are still over 1000 kilometers from the US border. But Trump has given the impression for days that they are already shaking the borders of America. Trump warns of a „caravan of bad guys, gang members and other criminals.“ There are many families and mothers among the migrants who want to protect their children from violence and the access of drug bosses.
Soldiers actually only logistical support
To deter migrants and to demonstrate action to US voters, Trump has already pushed over 5,000 troops and 2,100 National Guardsmen to the border. Now he threatens to send up to 15,000 troops – more than currently stationed in Afghanistan. The fact that the soldiers are only allowed to logistically support the border guards is not mentioned by Trump.
A similar scam is Trump’s announcement that he will abolish the right to automatic citizenship for US-born babies. He will order this by decree, promises Trump. The „birthplace principle“ is enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. To abolish it would require a two-thirds majority in Congress – which is currently totally unrealistic. But Trump’s main concern is the mobilization of his voters: those white US citizens who are afraid that their country will become increasingly brown due to the large number of Hispanic families.
Anyone who wants to get an impression of Trump’s fear campaign should watch a video he distributes via Twitter. In it images of migrants shaking border fences are mixed with statements of a murder convicted immigrant. In addition, the rhetorical question appears: „Who still want to let the democrats into our country?“ In his election speeches Trump brings to the handy formula: „Republicans produce jobs, Democrats mobs“.
At the same time, Trump threatens migrants‘ countries of origin to stop paying US $ 500 million in US aid. That this would force even more desperate people to leave their homeland shows how shortsighted Trump’s approach is. But he does not care about long-term promising concepts. He wants to get as many of his voters to vote. Politically Trump could even succeed with it. For the policy of the superpower USA, however, it is an indictment.
