In his most recent Wall Street Journal column Walter Russell Mead declaims that the assassination attempt on President Trump has pushed the United States in a more Jacksonian direction:
Mr. Trump is part of a strain of American politics that Andrew Jackson brought to power in 1828. In domestic politics, Jacksonians are skeptical of big business, hate the political and social establishment, and demand “common sense” solutions to complex problems. They support the military but not an officer class seen as distant from the values and folkways of the nation—West Point stuffed shirts in the 19th century, “woke generals” today. They assume the political class is deeply and irreformably corrupt.
In foreign policy Jacksonians feel no need to spread democracy around the world. Instinctively realist, they view the United Nations and international law that would bind the U.S. with fear and contempt. Absent serious threats against America, Jacksonians have little interest in foreign affairs. But when the U.S. is attacked, they believe every measure is justified in its defense. Jacksonians don’t regret assaults on civilian targets during World War II, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Relentless warfare against terrorists is justified; most Jacksonians support Israel’s war in Gaza and believe the U.S. should respond to terror with the same vigor.
and
Jacksonian America likes strong leaders, even those like George Washington and the two Roosevelts who come from elite backgrounds and whose policy preferences don’t always align perfectly with Jacksonian ideas. Jacksonians are deeply skeptical of most politicians; Jacksonian faith and loyalty, once given, can be enduring. This gives Jacksonian leaders flexibility on policies; the base will often follow where they lead.
Saturday’s events made America more Jacksonian and gave Mr. Trump an unbreakable hold on Jacksonian America. On the one hand, the assassination attempt reinforced the sense that Jacksonian America is under siege. On the other, Mr. Trump’s fist-waving defiance and determination quieted any doubt about his personal courage. Attacks on him from the political and journalistic establishments will only boost his standing with his followers and inflame Jacksonian hatred of elites.
While I agree with his assessment of the reactions of the Jacksonians who already support Mr. Trump, I think he’s wrong about the rest. I think that the assassination attempt will further reveal just how Jacksonian Mr. Trump’s supporters are but I doubt it will convert the Wilsonians who dominate Democratic politics to become Jacksonians.
I think the battle lines are already drawn. The relatively small number of undecideds may lean more towards Mr. Trump as a result of the assassination attempt. I further doubt that the anodyne remarks about comity will persist. In 2001 by November the New York Times had already abandoned the more tempered remarks it was making in September and was going hammer and tongs against President Bush. The calls for unity will quiet soon.
I’m skeptical that the incident will have more electoral significance. The problem for Democrats is that it draws another framing device for a narrative in which Biden is weak and Trump is strong, a prism through which people were already seeing the choices.
But the Jacksonian description of Trump is entirely accurate (including that both are non-elite elites).
I strongly suspect that the Biden campaign was building its entire strategy on very harsh negative advertising against Trump. It will hold off on that for a while but they’ll be right back slinging in a week or so.
If I recall my history class; all 3 of President Jackson’s campaigns were extremely contentious; like today.