The claim that Trump is a normie Republican is gaining traction again—this time from a prominent New York Times voice. Jamelle Bouie, a regular opinion columnist for the Times, published a bold piece Wednesday, challenging widely accepted views about former President Donald Trump.
Bouie argued that Trump’s policies, especially during his first term, mirrored traditional Republican values. According to Bouie, both critics and supporters often portray Trump as a political outlier. However, Bouie says this image is misleading.
Throughout his column, Bouie maintained a clear theme: Trump is a normie Republican. He contended that Trump followed party orthodoxy more often than not. As evidence, he pointed to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That legislation, Bouie noted, served the wealthiest Americans rather than Trump’s working-class base.
Moreover, Bouie emphasized that Trump’s domestic agenda closely resembled the policies of former President George W. Bush. He argued that much of Trump’s time in office could have easily passed for a third Bush term. Both presidencies, Bouie said, ended with overlapping crises worsened by poor leadership.
The opinion piece also addressed Trump’s foreign policy. Bouie wrote that the former president’s strike on Iran followed the Republican hawk playbook. He drew connections between Trump’s actions and past Republican figures like George W. Bush and John McCain.
By examining Trump’s military decisions, Bouie reinforced his key point again: Trump is a normie Republican. These actions, he explained, fulfilled goals that neoconservatives had championed for decades.
In conclusion, Bouie admitted that some authoritarian tendencies do set Trump apart. Still, he insisted that most of Trump’s governing decisions fall within standard Republican frameworks. Bouie suggested that these outcomes are expected when a Republican gains the presidency.
This analysis challenges popular narratives that describe Trump as an outsider or anomaly. Instead, Bouie’s column forces readers to reconsider how closely Trump aligns with the Republican mainstream.
As election season approaches, this renewed debate over Trump’s political identity may gain momentum.
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