{"id":38052,"date":"2024-11-06T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=38052"},"modified":"2024-11-06T19:52:07","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T19:52:07","slug":"trumps-comeback-victory-after-reshaping-his-party-and-national-politics-looks-a-lot-like-andrew-jacksons-in-1828","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/trumps-comeback-victory-after-reshaping-his-party-and-national-politics-looks-a-lot-like-andrew-jacksons-in-1828\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s comeback victory, after reshaping his party and national politics, looks a lot like Andrew Jackson\u2019s in 1828"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spencer Goidel<\/a>, Auburn University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the nation prepares for a second Donald Trump presidency, some history-minded people<\/a> may seek understanding in the idea that it wasn\u2019t until Richard Nixon\u2019s second presidential term that the serious consequences arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as a scholar of American politics<\/a>, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the right parallel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump has already faced most of the situations that brought down Nixon \u2013 a congressional investigation<\/a> and federal prosecutors\u2019 inquiries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump has survived by \u2013 consciously or not \u2013 following the example of another American president who created a political party in his own image and used it to rule almost unchecked: Andrew Jackson, whose portrait Trump hung in the Oval Office<\/a> during his first term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike Nixon, Trump outlasted investigations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Richard Nixon was reelected by an Electoral College landslide<\/a> in 1972 in the midst of the Watergate scandal<\/a>, in which people affiliated with Nixon\u2019s reelection campaign broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and then sought to cover up their actions. Although Nixon started off his second term with sky-high approval<\/a>, his demise soon followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Senate special committee<\/a> investigating the Watergate break-in was established just 18 days after his inauguration in January 1973. By the summer of 1974, evidence of Nixon\u2019s involvement<\/a> in the Watergate crimes had become overwhelming<\/a>. In an Aug. 7, 1974, visit to the White House<\/a>, Republican congressional leaders<\/a> asked the president to step down. He announced<\/a> his decision to resign the following day, Aug. 8, 1974.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump, however, has already weathered numerous legal battles, investigations and controversies. From the Jan. 6 committee<\/a> to special prosecutor Jack Smith\u2019s probes<\/a> and the Mar-a-Lago documents case<\/a>, Trump\u2019s political career has been marked by repeated confrontations with legal and political institutions \u2013 including two impeachments<\/a> by the House, though both were rejected by the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The House Jan. 6 committee announced four recommended charges against Donald Trump, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the Republican Party\u2019s loss in 2020<\/a> and an underwhelming performance<\/a> in the 2022 midterms, many within the GOP<\/a> urged Trump to step aside to allow for a new generation<\/a> of leaders. But Trump held firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigations stalled or were delayed<\/a>, giving him breathing room through to the 2024 election. Now, with his return to the White House, Trump will almost certainly end the federal investigations<\/a>, and there\u2019s little sign that state cases will press forward soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, historical revisionism \u2013 popularized by Tucker Carlson<\/a> \u2013 has taken place within segments of the Republican Party. Under this view, Nixon wasn\u2019t ousted for his involvement in Watergate but rather was the victim of a system aligned against him. But where Nixon stepped aside, Trump has fought back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Jackson, Trump reshaped his party<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In many ways, though, Trump more closely resembles Jackson than the scandal-plagued Nixon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following his narrow defeat in the controversial 1824 election, Jackson, much like Trump would two centuries later, claimed the election had been stolen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson seized on his supporters\u2019 frustrations, reorganizing the Democratic-Republican Party, which ultimately rebranded itself as the Democratic Party, in his own image. His followers championed his cause, creating state and local Democratic parties<\/a> and building a powerful grassroots movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, the Democratic Party democratized its nomination process, moving from elite-driven congressional caucuses<\/a> that chose candidates behind closed doors to well-attended party conventions<\/a>. This shift allowed voters to participate directly in the candidate selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new Jacksonian Democratic Party not only aligned with his views but also introduced a wave of increased political participation<\/a>. Through what became known as the \u201cspoils system<\/a>,\u201d Jackson rewarded loyalists by appointing them to government positions, ensuring that his allies held key roles in federal and state institutions. This approach allowed Jackson to implement his agenda more effectively, while also mobilizing his supporters at all levels of government, integrating them into the workings of American politics in unprecedented numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he won election in 1828, Jackson\u2019s efforts created a political landscape that gave him broad power, including actions that bypassed institutional checks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Jackson\u2019s forced removal and relocation of Native American communities from their ancestral lands \u2013 the \u201cTrail of Tears<\/a>\u201d \u2013 illustrated the dangers inherent when a president holds extensive unilateral power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson disregarded judicial decisions and public outcry, acting with executive authority that appeared unconstrained. An 1832 Supreme Court ruling \u2013 Worcester v. Georgia<\/a> \u2013 established tribal sovereignty, yet Jackson refused to enforce the ruling and the displacement of the Cherokee people continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His restructured party and control over appointments allowed him to act with what seemed near-total impunity. Jackson demonstrated his power by vetoing the renewal of the charter for the Second Bank of the United States<\/a>, then unilaterally directing the removal of federal deposits despite congressional support for the bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, Trump has reshaped the Republican Party<\/a>. His influence has been evident in Republican primary contests, where candidates aligned with Trump\u2019s vision succeeded, and opponents \u2013 the so-called \u201cNever Trumpers\u201d and \u201cRINOs\u201d \u2013 found themselves pushed to the margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This transformation has not been confined to rhetoric but is visible in the composition of state legislatures and in Congress, solidifying a pro-Trump ideology that extends to party policies and priorities. This shift gives Trump a firm foundation from which he can pursue his agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court<\/a> has, in effect, become a guardian of the political revolution Trump has spearheaded, granting the executive substantial powers and legal protection<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to look for next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But there are limits to what Trump can achieve, even with his strengthened position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike in Jackson\u2019s era, today\u2019s federal bureaucracy is a vast, entrenched institution, with checks in place that may challenge or obstruct executive overreach<\/a>. Some of Trump\u2019s promises \u2013 particularly around immigration policy, social welfare reform and trade \u2013 are likely to encounter resistance, not only from Democratic opposition but also from civil servants and legal processes embedded within federal agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Trump has said he wants to substantially remake that federal bureaucracy, replacing experienced career public servants with political appointees aligned with Trump himself<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald Trump\u2019s return to office likely signals an end to at least some of the yearslong investigations<\/a> into his past actions and ensures his hold over the Republican Party remains intact. With a loyal base of voters and supportive institutions, Trump is positioned to further reshape the American political system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spencer Goidel<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Auburn University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spencer Goidel, Auburn University As the nation prepares for a second Donald Trump presidency, some history-minded people may seek understanding in the idea that it wasn\u2019t until Richard Nixon\u2019s second presidential term that the serious consequences arrived. But as a scholar of American politics, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the right parallel. Trump has already faced […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":38053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,46,10,25,296,36,4,38],"tags":[775,529,479,885,891,886,860,530,14129,475],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38052"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38052"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38054,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38052\/revisions\/38054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}