Donald Trump Sees His Republican Base As ‘Marks’ To Fleece And Abandon, Writer Says
In a Wednesday piece for Salon, writer Amanda Marcotte argued that President Donald Trump views his Republican base of support not as allies but as “marks” to be used for his own benefit.
“Trump’s burning hatred for any American who didn’t vote for him is well documented, but just as true and just as disturbing is his utter disregard for the lives or well-being of people who did support him, and continue to do so,” Marcotte wrote. “Trump sees Republicans primarily as marks, to be fleeced for all they’re worth and then abandoned the second he sees no value in them.”
Marcotte pointed to the pressure Trump applied on Republican governors to lift coronavirus restrictions and the subsequent levels of infection in such regions. Notably, Florida and Texas have been experiencing surges in infected Americans, with the latter setting record highs for COVID-19 transmission. Although Trump and his allies point to the declining death rate as evidence that the increased cases in these regions aren’t significant, Marcotte noted reports that death rates lag behind positive tests.
Despite the spike in coronavirus cases in some regions of the United States, Trump continues to urge his supporters to attend his rallies and go to church. The president also refuses to recommend that Americans wear a mask to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and has been criticized for attempting to politicize the practice during the pandemic.
“Trump is so unconcerned about his own voters that he can’t even muster the pretense of caring in the cases where harm to them is also harm to him,” Marcotte wrote.
Trump’s approach to the coronavirus could cause him trouble in November. As reported by BNN Bloomberg, the president is experiencing a dip in support in regions where cases of the virus are rising. In particular, Pew Research Center polls show a decrease in Trump’s approval in 500 counties that have over 28 deaths from the virus per 100,000 people.
With older Americans most at risk from the virus, Trump’s approach to the pandemic has also opened up a weak spot for his opponents. As reported by The Hill, the liberal health care advocacy group Protect Our Care is funneling $2 million into advertisements in the battleground states of Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin.
The ads take aim at Trump’s handling of the coronavirus and accuse him of causing the unnecessary death of seniors. Tarik Khan, one of the nurses in the ad, says that Trump has “left behind” older Americans with his administration’s response to the pandemic.
