Onward: 3 lessons for progressives from Trump’s inaugural

Donald Trump’s inaugural speech was the most anticipated since President Obama’s speech eight years ago. Given the unconventional and unpredictable nature of his candidacy and the mixed messages his campaign advisers were sending out in advance, Americans had little inkling of which Trump would show up today.

After delivering a full-throated populist speech with heavy doses of isolationism, protectionism, and nationalism, it’s clear that progressives have their work cut out for them in the coming months.

{mosads}Here are today’s most important takeaways for progressives following Friday’s inaugural speech:

1. Trump is still being Trump

Given that Donald Trump is entering office with the lowest positive ratings of any president in modern history — just 38 percent — there was a lot of conjecture in recent days that his inaugural speech would strike a unifying note to rally more Americans behind his administration. That speculation was wrong.

NEW POLL: Trump enters White House with historically low approval rating https://t.co/biPSXlovoP pic.twitter.com/DXmeeJuffh

— The Hill (@thehill) January 18, 2017

Unlike Trump’s election-night speech, when he called on Americans who opposed his candidacy “for (their) guidance and (their) help so that we can work together and unify our great country,” today’s speech featured no such conciliatory language.

Instead, Trump doubled down on some of his more controversial campaign rhetoric — “America First” — and pointedly attacked the “politicians who are all talk and no action—constantly complaining but never doing anything about it. 

As we saw throughout the campaign, Donald Trump is unlikely to change his ways — even as he’s about to ascend to the highest office in the nation. Whether the office of the presidency will change him remains to be seen, but today’s speech shows us that we’re in for a wild ride. Abnormal is the new normal. Expecting Trump to abide by political norms is wishful thinking.

It’s an unpleasant truth for many progressives, but one with which we’ll have to come to terms. Each day will bring a new outrage, a new falsehood, and a new low.

It’s tempting to get caught up in the outrage machine and respond to each and every one of Trump’s tweet provocations. But Democrats tried to play that game in 2016 and lost.

We will have to adapt to this new environment, remember to stay focused on the issues voters care about, and not let the national dialogue be dominated by Donald Trump and his antics.

2.  There is a big difference between Trump’s populist rhetoric and his policies — Democrats should exploit it

Woven throughout Trump’s speech today were a number of strong populist statements. He spoke of “the forgotten men and women of America,” how “politicians prospered” while “jobs left and the factories closed,” and how — as president — he would “transfer power” away from the elites and back to the American people.

This message was crucial to his victory in November. It resonated with Republicans, Independents, and Democrats — many of whom had previously cast their ballots for President Obama. The great challenge for Trump now will be delivering on his lofty promises and making good on this rhetoric with his policies.  So far, he’s not off to a promising start.

In the weeks since the election, Trump’s cabinet appointments and policy priorities have deviated frequently from this populist message. He’s pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which has expanded healthcare to 20 million Americans — including many Trump voters living in hard-hit towns across the Midwest and Appalachia.

He’s appointed as Treasury Secretary a Wall Street executive who engaged in predatory foreclosure practices, while making a pretty penny for himself.

He’s signaled his opposition to an overtime rule that will increase wages for over 4 million Americans, all while pledging to deliver large tax cuts to corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

These contradictions — not Trump’s over-the-top tweets — provide the most fertile ground for Democrats looking to fight Trump and win back the voters we lost in 2016. It requires getting back to the basics of what Democrats stand for and not falling for every shiny object that Trump puts out there.

For starters, it means telling the stories of people whose lives and livelihoods would be imperiled without the Affordable Care Act and highlighting Trump’s empty rhetoric about helping the “forgotten men and women of America,” while he’s instead handing out tax cuts and corporate welfare to the people who need it least.

In the long term, for progressives to be successful against Trump, it will require vigilance, discipline, and a laser-like focus on bread and butter issues — not just a lot of noise about the Trump controversy du jour.

3.  Progressives aren’t the only ones feeling heartburn today

As disturbing as much of today’s speech was for progressives, fear not — we are not alone.

His advocacy for closed borders and protectionist economic policies flies in the face of GOP free trade orthodoxy. His apparent foreign policy doctrine — “America First” — upends the post-WWII order that has seen the United States work closely with our allies in NATO and serve as a unifying global force in confronting atrocities in places like Kosovo.

With the increased political polarization in our country, there is little common ground to be found between Republicans and Democrats.

When it comes to engaging in economically disastrous trade wars, abandoning our closest allies, needlessly escalating tensions with nations like China, and refusing to stand up to gross human rights violations and atrocities like genocide, Democrats and Republicans might actually be able to once again find common ground.

Trump’s view of America as an island is antithetical to both Democrats and Republicans. In the coming weeks, months, and years, it provides the opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to join together, and stand up for the values that have made America a global force for good.

Lis Smith is a Democratic strategist & co-founder of 50 State Communications. She served as the director of rapid response for Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign and deputy campaign manager for Martin O’Malley’s presidential campaign.

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