Despite comparing himself at times to Richard Nixon, President Donald Trump is actually using the same type of political appeal as George Wallace did in the 1968 presidential campaign, according to The New York Times.
The Times noted that Trump had said last month he “learned a lot from Richard Nixon" and occasionally interjects Nixon-like phrases, such as “silent majority” and “law and order,” in his tweets.
But the newspaper said Trump actually appears to be occupying the political lane held in 1968 by Wallace. The former governor of Alabama ran as a third-party presidential candidate that year and positioned himself to the right of Nixon.
The Times said that Trump does not share Wallace’s extreme positions on segregation. But, like Wallace, Trump is presenting himself as a pro-police, anti-protester candidate, as evidenced by his denunciation of “thugs” and his vows to dominate the streets.
In 1968, Nixon had positioned himself in the middle — between Wallace on the right and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, a Democrat, on the left.
The Times pointed out that while Nixon condemned riots and protesters during the campaign, he marched in the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.
“Comparing Nixon to Trump does a disservice to Nixon, who beyond his own demons, was often a brilliant political strategist,” said Paul Stekler, who filmed the documentary “George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire.”
Even before the ongoing protests, former Vice President Joe Biden last year compared Trump to Wallace, saying the president is “more George Wallace than George Washington.”
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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