PRESS RELEASE: US Presidential Election 2024: A Divided States of America
On November 5, will Americans turn the page on former President Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris as its first female President?
The 2024 presidential election has reinforced that the United States has become the Divided States. Where fake, hate, deviance and slogans challenge fact, reason, transparency and good policy. No wonder there’s deep seated polarisation, anger and derision among spouses/partners, families, co-workers, communities and red versus blue states.
Trump is a convicted felon – found guilty of 34 counts for falsifying business records. A jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her US$5 million. In a separate hearing, Ms Carroll was awarded US$83.3 million, for Trump’s defamatory statements disparaging her and denying her rape allegations.
Trump has mastered the art of conspiracy, using wild, lewd and dangerous rhetoric to divide, enrage, frighten and silence Americans. Some loyal followers then direct their anger, hate, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia and racism toward fellow Americans.
A petulant and resentful Trump demeans others who question his competency, stability and fitness for office. They’re falsely called morons, dumb, on drugs, crooked and liars. He routinely mocks individuals, turning Americans against one another.
Immigrants in Springfield Ohio are incorrectly accused of eating citizens’ pets. Illegal migrants are labelled as animals and not human. Reportedly, Trump will target the murderers, rapists and terrorists entering the US via the southern border with Mexico. Although, statistics indicate that murder, violence, sexual assault and civil unrest is mostly committed by US citizens.
The 2020 US presidential election is falsely said to have been stolen. And Trump consistently undermines trust in America’s institutions.
Trump informs Americans he’ll protect women whether they like it or not. Notwithstanding, Trump helped to undermine an American woman’s right to an abortion. Former Republican Liz Cheney is alleged to be a war hawk, who should be fired upon, with nine barrels shooting at her.
Trump claims he can magically fix inflation and lower the cost of living, while levelling punitive tariffs on most imported goods. He allegedly proclaims a mateship with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, will end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, and vows only to be a dictator on day one of his presidency.
Is Trump the kind of man a parent would want dating their daughter? Americans wouldn’t tolerate described Trumpian conduct from their General Practitioner or child’s teacher.
Research indicates individuals who fail to self-regulate also struggle to relationally co-regulate. A potentially debilitating, decompensating and derailing quality.
Taken together, Trump exhibits a pattern of behaviour that would normally disqualify a democratic leader. But US politics has become a low moving train wreck, a tawdry reality show involving relentless and damaging social pile-ons.
America the beautiful is America the broken – self-inflicted and corroding from within.
Dr Michael Walton, Clinical Psychologist, New South Wales, Australia
