The Republican Party looks much different than it did eight years ago. The party of family values and freedom has become focused on tearing apart the family and your freedoms. At the center of it all is the billionaire presidential nominee Donald Trump. Trump, by far, has become the most polarizing figure in politics. His radical and incoherent ideas about the country seek to divide at a time when we’ve never been further apart. However, he doesn’t work alone.
Throughout Trump’s 2024 campaign, we’ve seen him assemble an echo chamber of alt-right extremists who are even more radical than him. From a 9/11 conspiracy theorist to a self-proclaimed “black Nazi,” those who the former president has chosen to align himself with spell out danger for not only the Republican Party, but for all of democracy.
People such as Mark Robinson and Laura Loomer are suddenly famous Republican figures. Recent news articles have shed light on controversial statements both have made in the past. Robinson, for instance, has been linked to an account that left numerous comments on a pornography website’s message board from 2008 until 2012, including statements such as “I’m a black nazi” and pro-slavery comments. Robinson, who is currently running to be governor of North Carolina, has been endorsed by Trump on several occasions, and Trump has even gone as far as to say Robinson is “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Somehow Loomer, the alt-right activist who has been seen by Trump’s side numerous times, including being flown in Trump’s private jet, isn’t any better than Robinson. Loomer kept a relatively low profile until recently, when news of her travels with Trump came to light. She has come under fire for a myriad of controversial statements, ranging from describing Islam as a “cancer” to saying the White House will “smell like curry” if Kamala Harris were to win. Loomer has even gone as far as to identify herself as a “white advocate.” It’s gotten to the point where super MAGA congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has criticized her for not aligning with the true values of the Republican Party. While Trump has tried to distance himself from her radical claims, he still aligns himself with her, claiming they share a common goal in stopping the “radical left.”
Sadly, this isn’t all of Trump’s radical affiliates. Other prominent radical figures include Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who has gone on record multiple times opposing the separation of church and state. Kirk has also voiced opposition to the Civil Rights Act, claiming it as an “anti-white weapon.” Elon Musk has also become very vocal about his support for Trump and hopes to work alongside Trump in his cabinet. Musk’s support for Trump is more tangible than most, with his lobbying group giving individuals $47 for every swing state voter they can get on Trump’s side.
However, the member of Trump’s team who highlights this shift is the man he chose as vice president: JD Vance, a senator from Ohio who perfectly shows the potential troubles of a second Trump term.
Vance is almost the complete opposite of Trump’s previous running mate, Mike Pence. Pence was already an established Republican figure, serving as a U.S. Representative for Indiana from 2001 to 2013 and as governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017. Trump was an inexperienced figure in the political world and choosing someone with deep congressional ties and experience, like Pence, was a no-brainer. Vance on the other hand has almost no experience. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022 and can be best described as a Trump yes-man.
Trump’s plan to surround himself with yes-men doesn’t end with Vance. He plans to increase presidential control of the Department of Justice and go after his political enemies. Vance has pushed the idea of firing the thousands of federal civil servants who work across various agencies and replacing them with “our people.” An executive branch strictly made up of Trump loyalists is not only unheard of, but incredibly dangerous. This will provide Trump the ability to affect policy in ways no other president has been able to before.
A second Trump term spells a grotesque and radical shift in the Republican Party. With a cabinet, executive agencies and other political offices filled with appointees who will do his bidding, presidential overreach and abuse of power is inevitable. The president can’t do much on his own, and Trump knows that. By weaponizing the DOJ and aligning himself with other far-right activists and political leaders, the strength of the presidency will quickly increase well beyond what we’ve seen previously. While it’s good to have supporters, an unhealthy number of blind followers can make one irritable and thirsty for power, which is exactly what will happen if Trump is elected president in November.
Felipe Sathler can be reached at [email protected].
