In the most recent effort to sway public opinion in the upcoming November election, President Trump has used recent criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the pandemic and economic crises to spin a narrative of ‘anti-democracy’.
At a recent press conference, the President cited a number of articles from various media sources that harshly criticized the administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as its handling of the associated economic fallout. The articles in question were critical of the Biden administration’s lack of foresight and its failure to effectively respond to the pandemic.
The President argued that this criticism was indicative of a ‘trend’ of ‘anti-democracy’ sentiment within the Biden administration’s responses. He claimed that the Biden administration was eroding the foundation of democracy, by not taking selective criticism seriously, and not properly responding to the real needs of the people.
This is a very ambitious claim to make – one that could only be made by a President with a history of authoritarian-leaning tendencies. Yet, the articles in question can hardly be seen as evidence of anti-democracy sentiment. If anything, they are simply criticisms of the administration’s poor handling of the economic crisis and its lack of foresight in regards to the pandemic.
Donald Trump’s attempt to paint criticism of his administration as a sign of ‘anti-democracy’ is a clear sign that he is struggling to find an effective defense against the mounting criticism he is facing in the election season. He is trying desperately to distance his administration from any failings that may have occurred under the Biden administration, whilst also attempting to paint his opposition as fundamentally undemocratic in nature.
In light of this most recent attempt to spin the narrative, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Trump administration has no actual defense against the criticism that is being directed towards it. Their only real defense appears to be to attempt to discredit any criticisms of their policies, by attempting to portray them as a sign of anti-democracy. However, none of the criticisms voiced against the Biden administration have any basis in anti-democracy sentiments – they are simply criticisms of poor execution of policy.
Ultimately, Donald Trump’s latest attempt to spin the criticism he is facing into something more sinister highlights his desperation to win an election in which he is trailing far behind his opponent. As demonstrated by this latest attempt, he will use any method he can find in order to stay ahead in the race – even if that means creating a narrative which is far from the truth.
