Donald Trump Reminded Voters Exactly Who He Is
The 'collective amnesia' of his first term is not tenable
In March, the New York Times ran a story asking whether U.S. voters had a "collective amnesia" about the presidency of Donald Trump. The Times wrote that polling suggested voters’ views on "Trump’s policies and his presidency have improved in the rearview mirror" and that they "often have a hazy recall of one of the most tumultuous periods in modern politics." This dynamic, to the extent that it exists, benefits Trump, as he loves to remind voters of the high-wage, low-interest-rate economy under his presidency, conveniently omitting the COVID pandemic.
However, at the September 10 presidential debate hosted by ABC News, Trump reminded voters who he really is: he peddled conspiracy theories, engaged in whataboutism, and repeated grievances about his 2020 election loss, which he refuses to acknowledge.
