Words: Lorcan Adams (He/Him)
Trump ensures that people remain divided, living in constant anxiety of the “other”, all while he advances the interests of the oligarchs who support him.
Trump talks about immigration a lot. From absurdly racist claims about Haitian immigrants ‘eating the pets’, to ostentatious plans for a huge wall on the Mexican border – one he never finished – it’s an issue that dominates his politics. But behind all the nationalistic and xenophobic rhetoric, what’s the real agenda? Why does he push these extreme narratives? And to whose benefit?
America is a nation built on immigration, from European immigrants arriving in the 1800s, to communities from all over Latin America making the journey today. Immigrants have helped to develop the economy, politics, and culture of the USA, turning it into the global powerhouse it is currently. Given that his own mother is an immigrant herself, hailing from the Isle of Lewis, why does Trump still deny the USA’s rich history of immigration?
Well, because Trump doesn’t really care about America or its people. Despite what he says about immigrants stealing jobs and claiming benefits that cost the economy, these beliefs couldn’t be further from the truth. Immigrants ensure that the US labour force stays growing despite declining birth rates. It’s estimated over the next 10 years that recent immigration will provide $1.2 trillion to federal revenue. In fact, the mass deportations the president has suggested would reduce American GDP by up to 7%. If these anti-immigration policies don’t even have the effects he claims, why does he support them so vehemently?
In reality, it’s all about the money. Trump is a billionaire. From the beginning, he defined himself as a celebrity businessman, inheriting a real estate empire from his father. He tackles politics in a similar manner, with his newest cheerleader Elon Musk donating a staggering $290 million to his 2024 campaign. Trump is no stranger to the elite and their lavish lifestyles. This is obvious in his picks for his incoming cabinet, filled with billionaires and the richest on record.
Despite claiming to work with America’s best interests at heart, his actions betray him. The tax cuts under his first presidency massively favoured the wealthy and gave only meagre concessions to poorer families. Although it’s clear who Trump represents, he still manages to win votes from those he actively neglects. This is where all the talk of floods of criminals, militarised borders, and sweeping deportations come in. They serve to distract people.
Recently, since his return to office, Trump’s latest wave of policies have been dominating the news. Canada and Mexico, the US’s two biggest trading partners, were hit with blanket 25% tariffs on all goods, which, according to Trump, was enacted to halt the flow of drugs and migrants. Though negotiations have paused these for now, they highlight how willing Trump is to upend long standing relationships, just so he can appear tough and maintain his rhetoric’s relevance.
New deportation plans have also made headlines. US military flights are set to send undocumented immigrants to the infamous Guantanamo bay. Trump paints these people as dangerous criminals, so he can justify his cruel measures to his supporters. Ultimately, every person Trump successfully fearmongers into worrying over illegal immigrants is another person less concerned with class. As Trump ruthlessly whips up hatred and fear, he demonises people from Central and South America to paint himself as a protector of Americans. Trump ensures that people remain divided, living in constant anxiety of the “other”, all while he advances the interests of the oligarchs who support him.
This is what makes Trump’s populism so laughable. Instead of working for the people of America in any meaningful way, he’s a lucrative tool for the wealthy elite. The average MAGA supporter has infinitely more in common with someone from Guatemala or Colombia than they ever will with Trump and the billionaire cadre he belongs to. Despite this, he is still massively popular with the American working class, winning a majority of votes from those making less than $50,000 a year – the first Republican to do so since the 60s.
Trump successfully taps into the justified indignation of ordinary Americans. Productivity has exploded, but pay remains stagnant and prices are rising ever higher. Life is getting worse for the vast majority of Americans, and they’re right to be angry. Unfortunately, Trump redirects their fury towards vulnerable groups like immigrants, turning attention away from the true culprit: the exploitative capitalist system.
His strategy of harnessing legitimate grievances against the status quo to target immigrants, all whilst protecting the structures causing the issue, is something that desperately needs to be stopped. Figures like Farage have long attempted to use this approach to gain power in Britain, and recently, their efforts have been met with growing success. Only by emphasising unity in opposition to the systems that oppress everyone are we able to reject Trump’s bigoted message, and build a hopeful society for all.
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