Capital Review

No cat has more lives than Donald Trump’s political fortunes. To be sure, he is as skilled at retail politics as anyone since Bill Clinton, but he also benefits from being habitually underestimated by his adversaries.

His unprecedented political rehabilitation wasn’t merely a product of Republican support. Democrats and the dominant liberal media must ask themselves, “Did our relentless obsession with demonizing Trump instead breathe new life into him?”

Democrats were convinced they could beat Trump and certain Americans were done with him. But they ignored the maxim, “You can’t beat something with nothing.” They became primarily the party of anti-Trump. What else explains a coalition of AOC, transgender activists, anti-gun liberals, plus Dick and Liz Cheney?

But instead of occupying the political center, Democrats missed every opportunity to stop hemorrhaging middle-of-the-road voters. They encouraged a tidal wave of illegal immigration, advocated sex change operations on teenagers, and sought to deny Americans the choice to buy gas-powered vehicles and reliable energy. They wanted to pack the Supreme Court and make Puerto Rico and D.C. states to consolidate their power for years to come. They offered nothing meaningful to center-right or conservative voters who were weary of Trump’s antics but preferred his policies.

Joe Biden won in 2020 because Americans were exhausted by Trump’s insatiable thirst for the spotlight. After Trump’s disgraceful behavior following the 2020 election, Biden had an opportunity to fulfill his promise of a “return to normalcy.” In his inaugural address, he mentioned “unity” 11 times.

But he never delivered on that promise, instead vilifying his political opponents at every turn. Rather than present a positive vision for all Americans, he demagogued Trump supporters: “MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic.”

He tried to make Trump a millstone around the neck of Republicans and instead forged them into a unified opposition rather than making them part of a governing coalition.

Rather than pursue bipartisan solutions to restore faith in elections after the circus of COVID-era changes in 2020, he used his infamous “Jim Eagle” speech to imply that anyone who favored reasonable reforms was a racist.

The aging Biden had vowed to be a “transition candidate,” suggesting he knew one term would be enough. But when Democrats suffered only mild mid-term losses in 2022, they convinced themselves even Biden could win again if they made Trump the target of their ’24 campaign.

Consequently, there was no primary to find the best Democratic presidential candidate. The “party of democracy” shut down debates and even cancelled primaries lest Robert Kennedy Jr. or Dean Phillips show up Biden.

With Biden fortified as the Democratic nominee, Republicans no longer grabbled with whether to jettison Trump in favor of a younger candidate with broader appeal. To Republicans, it seemed obvious Biden was the weakest incumbent since Jimmy Carter given his failure in Afghanistan, his disastrous “Bidenomics,” and his impotent defense strategies that emboldened our enemies.

Meanwhile, Democrats launched their lawfare siege against Trump. Rather than selectively prosecute Trump’s plausible misdeeds, like hiding classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, publicity-seeking hacks brought contrived prosecutions. New York AG Leticia James charged Trump with a crime for which there were no victims, and District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought a case so tenuous jurors weren’t even instructed to agree on which specific act constituted a crime.

Republican primary voters consolidated behind a “persecuted” Trump. Arguably, that’s precisely what Democrats wanted.

Until it was too late.

Not until Biden’s disastrous June debate with Trump did Democrat leaders acknowledge what the general public already knew: Biden wasn’t cognitively capable of another term and even now is President-in-name-only.

By the time Biden bowed out, Trump held a solid lead in opinion polls and time was short for a legitimate contest among potential Democratic successors. Facing those obstacles, formidable Democrats yielded to Vice President Kamala Harris, who just a year earlier was roundly considered a political liability.

While she regained some ground lost by Biden, her far left pedigree and lack of depth could not be disguised. Few voters came to view Harris more favorably than Trump and those who liked neither voted overwhelmingly for Trump.

The choice Democrats and the legacy media orchestrated instead produced Trump’s biggest win ever; plus, Republicans captured firm control of the United States Senate and likely control of Congress. (Now, watch Democrats rediscover the sanctity of the filibuster.)

Political parties are often vulnerable to undeserved hubris. In 2024, voters delivered a reality check to Democrats: Be careful what you wish for because it may come back to bite you.

Mark Hillman served as Senate Majority Leader and State Treasurer. To read more or comment, go to http://www.MarkHillman.com.