So what has Donald Trump been up to?
On January 6 2021, the world observed in dismay as thousands of supporters of then President Donald Trump protesting voter fraud allegations stormed the United States Capitol building. It was one of the most shocking moments in American politics ever witnessed. Central to the proceedings was President Trump, who in the aftermath got de-platformed from Twitter and other major social media outlets. This also included his core group of supporters and influencers including General Flynn, Attorney Lin Woods and CyberSecurity Expert ‘Ron Watkins’ (Twitter: CodeMonkeyZ). Initially after the so-called ‘Capitol Riot’ there were concerns for widespread protests and riots across America.
Thankfully the public and law-enforcement officials were able to maintain calm and there were no further instances of violence. On January 20 2021, Joe Biden was sworn in amidst tight security measures. Mr. Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago, the famous resort in Florida owned by him.
Caption: President Trump Returning to Mar-a-Lago
And what about his supporters? To truly understand the motivation behind Trump’s support one has to look at the so-called army of ‘digital anons’ or online forum members who drove a digital information campaign. The so-called ‘anons’ or ‘anonymous’ members have been engaged in a ‘digital war’ since his first campaign in 2016. Their core narrative was based on existing serious allegations related to the personal and political dealings of key members of the Democratic Party, especially the Clinton Family. Trump's core support base derives from this belief that he ran for president to ‘drain the swamp’ o r rid Washington DC of corrupt politicians. He was seen as someone who genuinely cared for America and had the secret backing of key military officials. From 2015 onwards there was an entire ecosystem of content creators in various social media platforms who championed the narrative that Trump and his team were motivated to tackle a variety of serious issues from human trafficking to falling employment. Some of these content creators were like X22Report who provided daily updates on the so-called ‘shadow war’ between Trump and his opponents in the Deep State.
Leading up to the Capitol Hill incident and subsequent swearing-in of Joe Biden, it was clear that Mr. Trump had lost the election. However digital channels loyal to him still encouraged his followers to actively protest the result and file legal motions for voter fraud investigation. X22Report and others speculated that a last-minute coup by the Military would get Trump back in power.
Nothing of the sort happened. Donald Trump handed over power and now mostly resides at his Mar-a-Lago resort, reportedly playing a lot of golf.
Caption: Photo of the Mar-a-Lago resort
With him and his team de-platformed, hardly any mention in social and conventional media and the seemingly lower Covid-19 infection levels in America boosting sentiments in President Biden, it would seem that this is the end of Trump’s political journey. Indeed a majority of his so-called digital ‘anons’ and supporters turned on him and the republic party in general after no ‘dramatic plot twist’ occurred during the Biden inauguration. However Trump is still far from finished and unmistakeably has long-term political aspirations.
He is reported to spend a portion of his time in a leisure playing golf or interacting with V.I.P guests. But otherwise, he is still pulling the strings in the Republican Party. His agenda seems to first gain control back of the Republicans and then launch another campaign in 2024. His core group of supporters also remain strong and very recently displayed this by heckling a senior Republican like Mitt Romney off-stage. Mitt Romney had openly voted against Trump during the Impeachment and is one of the most powerful personnel in American politics. However, he had to halt his speech amidst loud ‘boos’ from Trump loyalists.
Caption: Romeny being heckled by Trump Supporters
Trump is also preparing to capture back the limelight that he was once so accustomed to. To navigate his social media bans, he plans to launch a new social media and digital media platform of his own. Key members of the Republican Party are still loyal to him and regularly visit him at Mar-a-Lago to meet and dine. His supporters and family members have also been active and touring the country, albeit under the radar. It should be of no surprise if Mr. Trump launches a major media campaign over the summer and aggressively targets Joe Biden. Insider reports mention that the objective is not to win back power in Washington which he knows is not possible till 2024. The aim is to gain complete control of the Republican Party and be seen as the face of opposition. It remains to be seen how many of his former supporters are ready to give him another opportunity. According to some surveys are the majority of former Trump supporters are either becoming completely apolitical or further radicalized right. If true, this may put any plans of a comeback in jeopardy for the Ex-President.