The astonishing puzzle of Donald Trump: Can it be solved? | Opinion

In the nearly 250 years of the nation’s existence, it has never experienced the likes of Donald J. Trump.

Millionaire real estate developer, gambling casino and resort owner, television personality, political candidate and America’s one-term president, Trump is reviled and adored in equal measure.

He stunned the political universe in 2016, defeating odds-on favorite Democrat Hillary Clinton and launching arguably the most chaotic administration in history.

Today, he stands astride the national landscape, dominating public and political life like no one before him. The media seizes upon his every action and utterance, devoting untold broadcast hours and columns of newsprint to him and eagerly awaiting his next rhetorical outrage or verbal assault on his critics.

His falsehoods have become too numerous to tabulate, and his public pronouncements on matters both global and domestic have frequently strayed into fantasy and eye-rolling incredulity.

He was impeached twice and indicted once, is under active state and federal investigations and was found liable for committing sexual assault and defaming the woman involved.

And yet his vise-like grip on a significant segment of Republican voters is such that he is far and away the leading candidate to win the party’s presidential nomination and, in some national surveys, defeat President Joe Biden to become only the second person in history to win the presidency twice in non-consecutive elections.

The depth and strength of the devotion displayed by his supporters is astonishing in light of personal and professional flaws that would disqualify anyone else from consideration, much less relevance and electoral victory.

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Look no further than his indictment by the Manhattan district attorney on business fraud charges to understand the bedrock loyalty he enjoys — his approval ratings rose in the aftermath of the charges.

It is not a matter of shared ideology; Trump possesses no discernible ideology. He belittles and berates Democrats and Republicans alike, no matter where the issue at hand falls on the ideological spectrum.

When he exhorts his rally crowds with “I am your retribution” and “I am your warrior,” the visceral roars of approval reflect a frustration, discontent and anger directed at the so-called elites, society’s upper class, the wealthy, educated and entitled population who view others with disdain and ridicule.

They’ve searched for an outlet for their inner rage, and Trump provided it with his pledge to be “your warrior.”

His supporters see a strong and muscular personality with no fear of engaging foes, calling out their hypocrisies in coarse and often profane rants.

He is a reminder that there is more to America than New York and California, that the few thousand miles separating the two — so-called flyover country — is occupied by people who believe they’ve been cast aside, treated indifferently and robbed of a voice, their values derided by a ruling class devoted to their personal well-being and superiority.

The movement has been criticized as class warfare and the politics of grievance and resentment. There is some truth in that assessment, but it is nonetheless real. It has manifested itself in the culture war and the use of “woke” to describe — fairly or not — an ideology that is anathema to many.

Trump has ridden the wave of polarization that has split the country over abortion rights, public school curricula, book banning, gun control, crime and immigration.

His America First and Make America Great Again populist platform has resonated with conservatives and many independents alike, holding out the promise of a return to the traditional values that many of them long for — cherished values they believe have been dismissed by elites as quaint, out of touch and intellectually deficient.

For them, Trump embodies all they desire in a response, someone able to command national attention and unafraid to do combat with what and who they see as threats to their and the country’s future.

They are willing to excuse his boorish behavior, his cringe-worthy personal ridiculing of the physical appearances and intellect of others and the elementary school playground nicknaming of his critics.

He carries his narcissism and self-absorption openly and shamelessly. His use of his social media platform is an exercise in self-aggrandizement devoted almost exclusively to ego-driven messages, outlandish claims of past accomplishments and unsupported predictions of future victories.

Even his appalling dereliction of duty in refusing to intervene in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — a dark stain on his presidency that will never fade — hasn’t shaken his core support.

When weighed against the connection he’s established with his followers and his promise to restore the nation to its lost glory days, the chaos and tumult of his four years in the White House are ignored.

How far loyalty and devotion will carry him is open to serious debate. Many leading Republicans fret that Biden, though vulnerable on issue after issue and unable at this early stage even to attract majority support among Democrats, will frame his reelection campaign as a referendum on Trump rather than on his administration.

His “vote for me because I’m not him” succeeded in 2020 and appears headed in a similar direction with his frequent admonition: “Don’t compare me to the Almighty; compare me to the alternative.”

Is Biden strong enough to withstand a new Trump campaign?

Efforts to coalesce behind a Republican nominee other than Trump haven’t gained much traction. He continues to hold a commanding lead over second-place finisher Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — as great as 40 points in some surveys — while the remainder of the competition has been unable to break free of single digits.

It is, of course, entirely possible that a criminal indictment of Trump will be handed down or that equally serious and damaging information may come to light, dramatically altering the landscape and eroding Trump’s support.

Biden’s public approval is mired at 40%; his handling of stubborn inflation, an immigration crisis that shows no signs of easing, and rising crime rates are in the 30% range; and two-thirds believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. Compounding his dismal performance on issues is a nervousness about his physical stamina and mental alertness at 81 years of age.

It is astonishing that an incumbent president seeking reelection is the subject of open and persistent speculation about whether he should be replaced or, if successful, leave office before completing his term.

While Trump's loyal base is strong enough to secure the nomination for him — particularly in a multi-candidate field — it is not sufficiently strong to win the White House. Whether he can appeal to swing voters, independents or disaffected Democrats considering switching from Biden is problematic.

The country may not have seen his like before, but given the unsettled state of politics gripping the nation, there is an outside chance they could see him again.

Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Donald Trump legal troubles: Can they sink his 2024 candidacy?