The future of Donald Trump consists of a unique dichotomy. The disparity between a future in prison versus a future as the 2025 president of the United States of America begs for waning support toward this candidate. It would be natural to assume that an individual tangled in multiple criminal indictments and countless accusations would never be entrusted with national control. So why, for so many years, has Trump been able to maintain fervor and support, still standing as an optimistic candidate for our upcoming presidency?
Firstly, Trump has long been a face of continuous gall. Let’s recall this past December, in Davenport, Iowa. When Sean Hannity, a host from Fox News, asked Trump: “Under no circumstances, you’re promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” the latter did not hesitate. His response was: “Except for day one.” And then, in further explanation, “We’re closing the border. And we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator, OK?” The statement embodied some of Trump’s traits that his opposers had hoped would help catalyze his demise: his often perilous jokes and frequent insensitivity. Simultaneously, though, the esteemed Des Moines Register poll was garnering political opinions and predictions from American citizens, and the results were paradoxical: 19 percent of Iowa Republican caucus goers were, after digesting Trump’s thirst for reprisal, actually more likely to support him. In April 2023, Trump referred to the district attorney filing charges concerning Trump’s payments to Stormy Daniels: “He is a Soros-backed animal who just doesn’t care about right or wrong.” Not to forget that following November, when Trump spoke in Claremont, New Hampshire: “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.” Trump’s often vitriolic statements and assertions are bound to oppose some of the beliefs of even his dearest supporters. And yet, he is still actively and enthusiastically championed. In this way, Trump is an outsider.
The reason for the unparalleled allegiance toward Trump’s reign is not some inconceivable force, nor is it a mere result of national ignorance. Trump’s appeal is most evident in his boldness as he strays from what is seen as social normality. Our modern society is characterized by ceaseless scrutiny, which the masses work to avoid with tailored behaviors and opinions. We are perennially tormented by a lack of genuinity. Hence, when we see people refusing to conform and exhibiting zealous new thoughts, we are easily entranced. MIT says that when one intentionally diverges from established norms, they assert their autonomy and heighten their perceived status and competence. Our status quo will always be imperfect. At any moment, if given a simple means of doing so, the average person would likely choose to change a great deal about their country, or their city, or even a sector of themselves. Those who stray from these unappealing monotonies of life are thus elevated next to the idea of change. To some, such divergence is scarily radical. But to those (and there are many) who detest certain aspects of our social systems and behaviors, who could spend hours thinking of new ways to do things and better ways to see things, this divergence is alluring. Trump has never failed to portray himself as a weapon against a maladjusted status quo. Just last March at a rally in North Carolina, Trump called himself “a proud political dissident” and “a public enemy of a rogue regime.” This is exactly what is so comforting to his supporters: his ability to non-conform.
I can attest, as a human being, that I am always interested in things that may challenge my past perceptions — new books that contradict old ones, new people with new ideas, new words, and new ways of expression. Such attraction to non-conformity that we see in so many humans holds incredible value. Let me not be deceiving with my previous statements regarding the allure of deviation, for this precise quality is exceedingly evident in countless leaders and activists. That is what makes an activist an activist, after all. However, we must be wary that non-conformity, such as in the case of Donald Trump, can manifest with baleful implications. Chasing the idea of non-conformity simply because it entices us crushes the greatness behind why it entices us. If we truly wish to access the brilliance and authenticity of ourselves and our futures, then we must, in any case, stay true to what we specifically believe. Often, the thing that we desire so greatly is not what we actually want, but simply an opposition to what we don’t.
Andover is a place with infinitely many places of growth and leadership. Within these positions and aspirations of power, let us not look to simply what we find distasteful about our school, but what we actually want to see in its place. We must be conscious of what appeals to us, so as not to be lured into adherence by a human tendency that has the potential to work for good.
