Nick Bryant spent time in the USA when a student and returned as a corespondent for the BBC in time to witness the ascent Donald Trump to the White House. There was surprise by many when Trump won the election, however Bryant argues that the growing political divide now apparent in the USA had been developing over many years.
Trump used this political and economic divide to his advantage. As well as promoting showmanship over statesmanship, Trump also utilised the many new social media tools at his disposal to publicise his latest idea and encourage the growth of conspiracy theories. It was not until after the election that the mainstream press realised the extent of the following Trump had for his views.
Trump was very good at pointing out problems affecting the lives of his supporters and encouraging them to show their approval for him at rallies, especially by chanting slogans. One of Trump's campaign slogans was Make America Great Again.
Since the 1980s America had faced economic downturns, changes in technology that caused a downturn in employment opportunities, changed foreign relations, increased influxes of immigrants, racial unrest, terrorist attacks and a growing divide between the supporters of the two political parties as well as the way younger and older people voted (or didn't vote). The USA had become a divided country and the advent of Trump and his ideas only increased that division.
Nick Bryant provides a detailed and informative study of the increasing divisions in American society and the consequent decline in American politics.
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