Abstract
How is racism exponentially amplified, generationally transferred, and encapsulated in the tragic political phenomena that is Donald Trump? How was Trump able to resonate with some of the most xenophobic elements of society, culminating in the deadly January 6th Capitol riots? This chapter represents a case study interrogation of the racial ramifications of the political leadership of Donald J. Trump. Through biographical investigation, analyzing sociological trends and the politics of racial intolerance embodied by Donald Trump, I will pursue answers to the previously expressed questions. Firstly, I will present the popular politics of Trump and how they exacerbated previously existing racial tensions in society. Secondly, this chapter presents comparative analysis highlighting previous presidents and other historical defining historical moments. This chapter will close with a detailed look into the January 6th insurrection including options and predictions for the future revealed through this retrospective. The methodological approach I utilize for this chapter is an Afrocentric interpretive perspective. Through this interrogation I seek to reveal: how did America end up with Trump as president, was he the leader we deserved according to our national history, and how do we prevent a second coming of Trump or the insurrection he was instrumental in influencing?
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Many thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their comments and to Dr. Adebowale Akande for his professorial editorial assistance.
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Smith, A.X. (2023). Donald J. Trump in the Whirlwind of Populism and Globalization. In: Akande, A. (eds) U.S. Democracy in Danger. Springer Studies on Populism, Identity Politics and Social Justice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36099-2_17
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