Something that Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discussed during one of their episodes on the US in 1968 was the alignment of Trump's strategies with those of George Wallace's.

Wallace, who'd initially begun his political campaigns promoting infrastructure renewal, education, and healthcare, found that he couldn't get traction with the American people with them.

Then he turned his attention to ethnic issues and exploiting the ethnic divide via taking a stand for segregation, and his popularity went stratospheric... not just with republican voters, but also with democratic ones.

As he said, years later, "You know, I tried to talk about good roads and good schools and all these things that have been part of my career, and nobody listened. And then I began talking about n****rs, and they stomped the floor."

After Wallace's political withdrawal in the presidential campaigns, Wallace's team predicted that his movement and strategies would not die with his exit... that a 'super Wallace' will rise to take his place.

It seems they were right.

N****rs became Mexicans and immigrants.

And the similarities to Trump and the Wallace of the 60s don't stop there. While Wallace was a Democrat and a populist, he would have been happy to switch to the Republicans if the offer was good - that he be Goldwater's running mate.

What Trump has proved is that Americans' historical predisposition towards ethnic separatism still plays out in US politics, as Wallace realised in his day.

As Americans from both sides 'stomped the floor' when Wallace platformed national segregation, so too has Trump evoked the same stomping in his political life.

The overreach of ICE indicates that Americans still have a fetish for putting their collective boot on the neck of the 'outsider'.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 30^th, 2025 at 10:04pm:

What Trump has proved is that Americans' historical predisposition towards ethnic separatism still plays out in US politics, as Wallace realised in his day. As Americans from both sides 'stomped the floor' when Wallace platformed national segregation, so too has Trump evoked the same stomping in his political life. The overreach of ICE indicates that Americans still have a fetish for putting their collective boot on the neck of the 'outsider'.

https://ashleeblucas.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/bee-in-your-bonnet.jpg

While Wallace intended to use his segregation platform only as a means to an end to advance his political career, he was ultimately defined by it and only escaped its vortex (not so his historical legacy) after he was shot.

With Trump, his Greenland and Canada annexation proposals were Wallace-style diversions that have faded from his political focus, but will probably permanently define his presidency anyway.

Trump will likely have more legacy success with his immigrant policies, as Americans have an insatiable historical appetite for them.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 30^th, 2025 at 10:37pm:

While Wallace intended to use his segregation platform only as a means to an end to advance his political career, he was ultimately defined by it and only escaped its vortex (not so his historical legacy) after he was shot. With Trump, his Greenland and Canada annexation proposals were Wallace-style diversions that have faded from his political focus, but will probably permanently define his presidency anyway. Trump will likely have more legacy success with his immigrant policies, as Americans have an insatiable historical appetite for them.

Which is why they elected O'Bama.
Twice.

Wallace's N****rs have become Trump's Mexicans and immigrants.

It shouldn't be surprising that Trump's policies and strategies follow those of Wallace, Nixon, Reagan (MAGA), and even Carter; his political instincts were forged during the late 60s, 70s and early 80s largely by them.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 30^th, 2025 at 11:29pm:

It shouldn't be surprising that Trump's policies and strategies follow those of Wallace, Nixon, Reagan (MAGA), and even Carter; his political instincts were forged during the late 60s, 70s and early 80s largely by them.

With that in mind, it's an easy guess to predict Trump's inclination on almost any and every issue.

He'll be a 'morning in America' Reaganite (although more white-trash than Reagan was).

A Carteresque peacenik (without the perception of Carteresque weakness over US defence).

Deviously, even criminally, Nixonian in his personal dealings and the treatment of his perceived political 'enemies'.

And full, uber-Wallace when it comes to wedge politics on ethnic issues, and any other issue that will divide Americans.

What uniquely defines Trump apart from Wallace, Nixon, Carter, and Reagan is his instinctive cowardice.

Trump is easily the most publicly cowardly president of the 20th and 21st centuries.

There is no threat that Trump makes that he will not walk back when those he threatens don't blink.

Even his recent threat to Putin is expressed as 'more sanctions'. Given Russia is already sanctioned up the yin-yang... more sanctions? Gee... wow... what a 'tough guy'... NOT!

Russia is currently evading sanctions by trading with the likes of China, India and Iran using gas, oil and covert gold as payment...

So, more sanctions pose no threat to Russia... not within 10 days, 12 days, or 15 minutes.

Why not more offensive and defensive weapons to Ukraine? That would be a threat that would keep Putin up at night... but that's what a real man would do, so...

MeisterEckhart wrote on Jul 31^st, 2025 at 9:26am:

What uniquely defines Trump apart from Wallace, Nixon, Carter, and Reagan is his instinctive cowardice. Trump is easily the most publicly cowardly president of the 20th and 21st centuries. There is no threat that Trump makes that he will not walk back when those he threatens don't blink. Even his recent threat to Putin is expressed as 'more sanctions'. Given Russia is already sanctioned up the yin-yang... more sanctions? Gee... wow... what a 'tough guy'... NOT! Russia is currently evading sanctions by trading with the likes of China, India and Iran using gas, oil and covert gold as payment... So, more sanctions pose no threat to Russia... not within 10 days, 12 days, or 15 minutes. Why not more offensive and defensive weapons to Ukraine? That would be a threat that would keep Putin up at night... but that's what a real man would do, so...

This post is brought to you by the words secondary and sanctions and the numbers 10 and 12.

Secondary sanctions: sanctions on countries that trade with a sanctioned country. 





Breaking:
Donald Trump imposes 25pc tariff on Indian imports, plus ‘penalty’ tax over purchase of Russian oil

Regarding Putin, Trump is in the process of pivoting from his half-arsed version of 'Nixon the diplomat' vis-à-vis Nixon and Mao's China, to a limp-wristed version of 'Reagan the Cold War warrior', i.e. Reagan and the late Soviet Union.

Reagan's strategy was straightforward in its messaging to a line of late Soviet leaders: 'You may go no further at any price you can afford.'

MeisterEckhart wrote on Aug 1^st, 2025 at 8:56am:

Regarding Putin, Trump is in the process of pivoting from his half-arsed version of 'Nixon the diplomat' vis-à-vis Nixon and Mao's China, to a limp-wristed version of 'Reagan the Cold War warrior', i.e. Reagan and the late Soviet Union. Reagan's strategy was straightforward in its messaging to a line of late Soviet leaders: 'You may go no further at any price you can afford.'

Trump's tariffs/sanctions on Russia will amount to either:

(a) a deferrment from '10 to 12 days' to 30+ days during which Putin will up his offensive in Ukraine
OR
(b) impose a calculatedly ineffective tariff/sanction after which Putin will up his offensive in Ukraine.

Faced with a similar situation, Reagan, the true Cold War warrior, threatened Gorbachev with the Strategic Defence Initiative - 'Star Wars'.

No cat-and-mouse, limp-wristed diddling for Reagan.

:D

It's almost a Seinfeld series watching Trump as the 'George' character trying to be Wallace, then Nixon, then Carter, then Reagan, each episode... and failing with the same dramatic comedy that Jason Alexander breathed into 'George'.

With Trump's mission clear - the recreation of the social, political and cultural milieu of 1960s-1970s America - he's doing so within an America that is nostalgic for the imaginary world of the 'Beverley Hillbillies' - the idea of the white trash dumbcunt who falls arse-backwards into riches and fame.

His ideal of himself, most likely, is Reaganite, but where Reagan communicated confidence, strength and hope, in his Californian-ranch beef steak style, Trump's personality has only managed to project the image of a white trash dumbcunt who fell arse-backwards into riches and fame.

And the majority of Americans are currently okay with that.

MeisterEckhart wrote on Aug 1^st, 2025 at 8:20pm:

It's almost a Seinfeld series watching Trump as the 'George' character trying to be Wallace, then Nixon, then Carter, then Reagan, each episode... and failing with the same dramatic comedy that Jason Alexander breathed into 'George'.

I'm waiting for the SNL team to make a series of skits where the ghosts of Wallace, Nixon, Carter and Reagan, haunting Mar-a-Lago, try to school Trump.

Recently, Trump channelled his inner Wallace in an apparent deflection attempt from the Epstein affair (how long before it's dubbed Eps-gate or Stein-gate?), by accusing Obama, Harris, Winfrey, Sharpton and Beyonce of crimes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH6C8XVfTMY

Of the four entities that inhabit Trump's brain, his most honourable evocation is his inner Carter.

And he has avoided the Carter trap of, while avoiding war, he's sidestepped the political landmine of being stigmatised for jeopardising US national security by being perceived as weak.

Trump's in-then-out military action against Iran demonstrated that, while he can channel his inner Carter, he's also integrated a valuable lesson that eluded Carter.

On his people-paranoia, Trump is at his most Nixonian of all four of his evocations.

And where Nixon had H. R. Halderman and John Erlichman as his most trusted protectors and head kickers, Trump has condensed them into the creature that is Laura Loomer.

Loomer, who is hyper-vigilant at even the slightest gesture that might betray disloyalty to Trump, is despised by most, if not all, of the Trump administration staff.

One word from Loomer and Trump will fire her 'suspects' immediately, usually with a flick hand-gesture, without a second thought, and they're gone.

Administration staff do whatever they can to prevent Loomer from getting near Trump, often by delaying her regular security checks until Trump is out of reach, and even by attempting to usher her off presidential transportation, which she can only reverse if she can get to Trump.

So, currently it's the ghost of Nixon that has its hand up Trump's arse...

His fomenting of 60s-style civil disorder, followed by 'troops on the streets' mirrors the Nixonian age almost as if Trump had found a secret diary of Nixon's detailing his game plan for establishing a US president as a latter-day American Louis XIV.

We're all waiting for 'Kent State'.