Arab News | America has only one way to survive

Since former President Donald Trump announced his third bid for the presidency of the US last week, the Republican Party has faced a complicated dilemma, wondering about its future as a leading force in the country’s political dynamics.

It is no secret that the Republican Party blamed Trump, the most controversial American political figure, after the unexpected results of this month’s US midterm elections. Trump-backed candidates lost vital Senate and House races in several states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Alaska and North Carolina, turning him into a liability rather than an asset. Therefore, the party suffered negative political consequences that, if repeated in 2024, would lead to a historic disaster for the Grand Old Party.

After Trump’s announcement, he personally sent a large number of campaign emails to Republican and independent voters, thanking them for their “unwavering support.” The former president expressed his love for his country and its people. “I am not running for president in 2024 for me — I had a perfect and luxurious life before entering the world of politics — I am doing it for America. And it’s my honor to do it. Because if I don’t, our nation is doomed,” the email read.

His announcement led to a significant rift in the party, which first began to search for its lost identity after the storming of the Capitol Hill building on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump’s reluctance to stop the attack that targeted the symbol of American democracy. At that moment, just like in the recent elections, he lost many active supporters in the party and at polling stations.

Even his daughter Ivanka, previously a senior adviser in his White House, was not so thrilled about her father’s announcement, taking a step back from the chaos. In a statement, the mother of three said she dearly loved her father but insisted she would rather prioritize her children and the family’s private life. “I am grateful to have had the honor of serving the American people and I will always be proud of many of our administration’s accomplishments,” she concluded.

Moderate Republicans used the opportunity to express their rejection of the conspiracy theories and divisive strategies that had struck the party’s core.

On Friday, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said in a radio interview that it was very early for anyone to announce a presidential bid, stressing that Trump would not be able to keep any candidate out of the race. “It is going to be a very awkward thing when he is the only one in the race. No one is going to really care; it is just going to be weird,” Sununu added.

The wisdom of the moderates must return, not only in the Republican Party but in the Democratic Party too.

Dalia Al-Aqidi

Former Vice President Mike Pence, another potential 2024 candidate, told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Americans were looking for new leadership to unite the country around the people’s highest ideals and to reflect the “civility and respect” that most Americans have for each other.

Several high-ranking Republicans shared the same firm stance against Trump’s announcement, such as Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. “We need more seriousness and less noise,” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, another potential candidate, posted on his Twitter account.

Republicans comprehend the ugly truth that there would be no room for backing down, while the GOP must begin a broad study of the reasons for their decline in the midterm elections and the ways to limit the Democrats’ chances of a second successive term in the White House.

In 2024, American voters need to hear about new policies and strategies to solve serious issues like inflation, the rising crime rate, children’s education, and decency; no more stolen elections or robbed votes.

To win the White House at this crucial point in US history, moderate Republican candidates must paint a better picture of the future and restore confidence in this ancient party.

The GOP should prevent the progressive ideology of the far left from flourishing. The far left cannot and should not be allowed to succeed in turning the US into a socialist country, in which citizens’ freedoms are confined to the hands of the ruling party.

The wisdom of the moderates must return, not only in the Republican Party but in the Democratic Party too. Otherwise, saving the country from the current chaos would need a third party to banish the bipartisan extremism.