Trump’s succession
Over the past few years, American politics has been in the spotlight after Trump’s succession of Obama in January 2017. David Brook’s article, “Getting Trump out of My Brain,” is considered as one of his best pieces found in the New York Times, where he illustrates the rather rampant appearance of Trump in international media and his growing influence in global politics. Brooks is considered as an Op-Ed columnist with the renowned paper, who is vocal when it comes to the political and cultural scopes of American culture. Within his article, Brook is seen to expound on the negative criticism that is associated with Trump and his unreasonable activities and conservative policies when it comes to global politics. In addition to the above, Brook’s use of his subjective article introduction “to get Trump out of his mind,” brings about his position on the negative political influence that Trump has had over the American society through his political reach globally. It is evident that with the hypocrisy that revolves around American politics, Trump’s appearance and behavior in global media bring about the country’s hidden political reality when it comes to its conservativeness, capitalism, and racist prejudice.
Brook brings about an argument in his article that the election of Trump into office is America’s deserved reward since he brings about the reality of American politics that is often shrouded by the false ideals of the White Anglo-Saxon protestant (WASPs). He further argues that American politics is one that is full of hypocrisy, and through Trump’s actions and behaviors, it has become visible over the years. The author’s criticisms of Americans voting for a leader who mirrored their own country’s reality is evident within the article. Trump is just carrying out his elected duty, which is being the true definition of contemporary American politics, as well as the fall of the WASPs ideal.
For instance, he mentions how “most American history mainline protestants – the Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians among others – do set the dominant cultural tone,” most of their political approaches and movements have come from these mainline churches. However, despite this particular view, he argues that since the inception of the Trump administration, he has brought about the dark side of American values and the irrational conservativeness that is present in American society. The rise of hate culture and American polarization and for instance, has been on the increase. His influence on public policies, both within and outside the American political scope, has led to forced cuts in various sectors. Issues revolving around social security disability, Medicare, and the deprivation of health insurance affects almost 23 million Americans.
Considering the article’s approach, it is clear that Brook is targeting two main categories of audiences. Two target readers are available to the author. He speaks primarily to Liberals’ progenies as well as satirizes Trump’s conservative allies who satisfy almost every requirement of a national conservatism adept. In addition to the above, the article could also be seen to be directed towards the political and educational enthusiasts found in global societies. It also addresses both the ‘Trump supporter’ and the people considered to have an ‘anti-Trump’ mindset, are also considered as a targeted audience.
When it comes to the author’s approach in writing his article, he utilizes logos by utilizing a quote from the 2014 publication “An Anxious Age: The Post-Protestant Ethic and Spirit of America by Joseph Bottum. Brook refers to the influence of political ideas form mainline dominance of protestant ideas, especially when it comes to religion and philosophy. He also argues that various American leaders such as Roosevelt and Obama followed these standards, unlike Trump, when it came to the decency of public life for the everyday American citizen.
Brook perfectly enhances the connection with his audience using both the logos and ethos of his approach through referencing the decline of the overall WASPs values. It also stirs up the appeal to pathos to both his religious and political readers that bring about an uprising against ethical anarchy. It is clear that a country such as America couldn’t have voted for a leader that is considered eccentric, incapable of hypocrisy, boastful, and objectifies women. It leads to the ethical dissatisfaction of Trump as a leader, both by Brook, as well as the audience.
In the fifth paragraph, Brooks asks, ‘Have Americans decided they no longer want to be a universal nation with a special mission to spread freedom around the world?.’ He raises a conviction to his audience that Trump’s actions in office have led to the isolation of his administration from international affairs. It shows that the direction Brooks takes on the issue of Trump being in power is one that would be considered harmful. With this in mind, I believe that the approach Brook took in his article brings about an argument on the validity of Trump’s administration, when it comes to international politics. As mentioned in the article, one might ask themselves what lessons are being learned from his term in office, and will these lessons prove to influence or shape the nature of America’s political future.
I share the same sentiments as the author when he argues that things will ‘not just snap back to “normal” after his term. America’s political identity and its role, especially in international politics, might as well have changed with his time in office and might prove to have long-term effects when it comes to America’s political future. Thus the increased reaction against Trump being significant now than him as an individual. In retrospect, I think that Brook’s article would be considered an eye-opener when it comes to the future of American politics. For America to be still regarded as one of the best democracies in the world in the near years, then its citizens should consider how to “get Trump out of their minds” fast.