Summary of Key Points
This article focuses on the election disputes and political machinations surrounding former U.S. President Donald Trump, covering three main aspects:
1. Trump's double-standard attitude towards the 2020 election results, where he claims that all victories are legitimate while all losses are due to manipulation;
2. The rumors of Trump's connections with Russia during the 2016 election and the resentment this has caused within the Democratic Party;
3. The strategic reasoning behind Trump's efforts to create an excuse for "election interference" in order to protect his own and his family's interests and maintain political influence, as well as the contrasting responses of the Democratic Party and Trump after their respective losses, revealing the brutal nature of power struggles in American politics.
1. Trump's Double Standard on Elections: All Wins Are Legitimate, but Losses Are Manipulated?
Trump has participated in three presidential elections: winning in 2016, losing in 2020, and planning to win in 2024. Interestingly, he only accuses the 2020 election of being manipulated, while he never mentions any issues with the two victories (under Obama in 2016 and Biden in 2024). The contradiction lies in the fact that when Democrats were in power and Trump won, it was fine; however, when he lost as president, he claimed there was manipulation—this logic is akin to saying, "If I win at a casino owned by someone else, it's fair; if I lose at my own casino, someone is cheating." Clearly, this is just an excuse and not an indication of actual election flaws.
2. The "Russian Controversy" around the 2016 Election: Unresolved Clues
In 2013, Trump attended the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and excitedly tweeted about whether Putin would attend, expressing a positive view of his relationship with him. Later, he admitted meeting with Russian officials (oligarchs and generals), describing their relationship as "special." However, during the 2016 campaign, he claimed he had never met Putin and didn't know who he was—a typical case of changing his story at will.
More crucial were two incidents during the election:
- The emails of Hillary Clinton's campaign director, Podesta, were leaked (due to a technical error that labeled "illegal" emails as legitimate, leading to employees clicking on phishing links);
- Wikileaks revealed internal Democratic Party emails showing they had favored Hillary over Bernie Sanders and received funding from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These revelations significantly damaged Hillary's poll numbers, indirectly helping Trump win the election. As a result, the Democratic Party blames Russia for the interference.
3. Different Responses of the Two Parties to Losses: The Democrats Accept Defeat, Trump Resists
Despite both parties losing elections, their reactions are vastly different:
- After losing in 2016, Hillary publicly wished Trump success; after losing in 2024, Kamala Harris congratulated him on his election, adding that one must accept the outcome.
- Trump, however, directly incited chaos in Congress after his 2020 defeat and is now discussing "election interference" in advance, preparing for a possible loss in 2028, implying, "If I lose, it will definitely be someone else's fault; I won't accept it."
4. Trump's Self-Preservation Strategies: Fear of Being Held Accountable After Losing Power
Why is Trump so afraid of losing? Because the Democratic Party has long been targeting his family's wealth, accusing them of amassing a fortune through dealings with foreign powers during his second term. If the Republicans lose control of Congress in 2026 or Trump loses the 2028 election, the new Democratic government is likely to investigate his family's affairs. As Gao Yuliang said in "In the Name of the People," "Benefits obtained through power will eventually be confiscated by new authorities." By creating an excuse for election interference, Trump is preparing to possibly deny responsibility and protect his own power and family's interests.
5. Trump's Power: Like Junk Bonds or a Descending Escalator
The article compares Trump's power to junk bonds (high risk, unstable) and someone running on a descending escalator—if you stop (lose the election), you will be sent even further down. What Trump cares most about is not the country but his political legacy and influence. When he left office in 2021, few senior Republicans came to see him off, creating a desolate scene that only reinforced his fear of losing power. Therefore, he keeps bringing up old issues and making excuses to stay on that "descending escalator" as long as possible.
While this article doesn't contain much financial or economic content, its core theme is the intertwining of power and interests—Trump's actions are all aimed at preserving his own and his family's power and wealth, avoiding accountability by new authorities. Behind the "democratic facade" of U.S. elections lies a stark struggle for power and profit.