John MacDonald: I'm not buying into the Trump hysteria

I think I’m going to trust my gut instinct more often.  

Because yesterday, I didn’t like the idea of it, but my gut was telling me that Donald Trump was going to win the presidential election.  

And because I’m going to listen to my gut instinct more often, today I’m going to tell you that —even if we don't like it— we need to calm the farm a bit with all the hyperbole being thrown around.   

Because even though things are a little bit different this time around, did the world fall apart last time Trump was president? It didn’t.  

He’s another one of those people who you know is just making stuff up —and you know they’re a nasty piece of work— but somehow people fall for them. And enough people have fallen for Donald Trump. Again.    

But even though I felt he was going to take it out, I was still blown away with how the numbers looked from the start.  

Because you know what it’s like with elections and how the early stages of counting can skew things quite a bit – which is what I was thinking when I kept refreshing the screen on the phone following the results yesterday afternoon.  

But those Electoral College numbers just kept piling up for Trump. But, unlike last time he won, I wasn’t in the least bit surprised.  

There are some aspects that did surprise me. Example: the move in support from black voters —especially African American men— from Democrat to Republican.  

But even then, that shouldn’t really be a surprise when you consider how Trump campaigned. Where he just kept asking voters the rhetorical question: are you better off now than you were four years ago?   

And that’s a question that’s relevant to anyone from any cultural background. And it seems, for enough of them, the answer to that question was “no”. No, we’re not better off.  

And that, it seems, is what it came down to for the Americans who not only voted Trump back in as president but who also put the Republicans in charge of the Senate.   

Which is bringing some dire warnings today. Which I think would be very easy for me —or for anyone— to jump on board with. Because I think for a lot of people their default position is anti-Trump. Even though I think he’s a horrible person, I’m not going to switch to default.  

When I watched him making his big victory speech, I did wonder how many of his cronies who were on that stage with him will still be with him in four years time. There will be some casualties, we know that.  

And he made it very clear that America is going to be his first priority. In fact, he said that.  

But, on the basis that the world didn’t fall to bits last time he was president, I’m not buying into the hysteria. I could be proven wrong, but that’s my gut instinct.     

Unlike political commentator Matthew Hooton who is putting a very dire warning in the NZ Herald today, under the headline: “America entering most dangerous period since 1861”.  

He’s saying today: “The world enters its most dangerous period since World War II, with Trump threatening to abandon Ukraine, withdraw the US’s security in Europe which will encourage Russia’s Vladimir Putin to expand his ambitions westward, launch a global trade war and collapse the World Trade Organisation.”  

Matthew Hooton goes on to say: “Trump has also promised to jail his political opponents. He made similar threats in 2016 that he did not act upon, but back then his circle included at least some people who could be relied upon to keep his most extreme tendencies in check.  

“There are no such people around him this time. Nor is he constrained by the need to worry about re-election.  

“Barred from standing for re-election in 2028, the danger is he will seek to hold on to power by other means.”  

And Matthew Hoot

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
You know what, you know what, I think I'm going
to trust mcgut instinct more often because this time yesterday
I said to you, didn't I I said to you that,
even though I didn't like the idea of it, mc
gutt was telling me that Donald Trump was going to
win the presidential election. And because I'm going to listen
to mc gut instinct more often today, I'm going to

(00:34):
tell you this. I'm going to tell you that even
if we don't like it, we need to calm a
farm a bit with all the hyperbole being thrown around
at the moment, because even though things are a little
bit different this time around, think about this, did the
world fall apart last time Trump was president? It didn't

(00:54):
do it. And I don't like the guy at all,
Don't get me wrong. He's another one of those people,
you know, you know, the type who just makes stuff
up and you know that they're a nasty piece of work,
but somehow people still fall for them, and enough people
who have falled for Donald Trump again. More on that

(01:17):
in a second, but cheapest don't know what it was
like for you. But even though I felt this time
yesterday that he was going to take it out, I
was still blown away with how the numbers looked pretty
much right from the start, because you know what it's
like with elections, the early stages of counting can skew
things a bit, which is what I was telling myself
when I kept refreshing the screen on the phone keeping

(01:40):
an eye on the results yesterday afternoon. But those electoral
College numbers, they just kept piling up for Trump. But
unlike last time, he won, I wasn't in the least
bit surprised because That's what I'd been feeling all day,
in all week. There are some parts, for though, that
did surprise me. Example, this move and support from Black voters,

(02:01):
especially African American men, this move by them from car
Malaharas to Trump. But I mean, even then that shouldn't
really be a surprise. It shouldn't when you consider how
Trump campaigned, where he just kept asking voters the rhetorical question.

(02:22):
He kept asking them, are you better off now than
you wore were four years ago? And that's a question
that's relevant, very clever, It's relevant to anyone from any
cultural background, and it seems, doesn't it? For enough of them?
The answer to that question was no, No, we're not
better off, And that, it seems, is what it came

(02:45):
down to for the Americans who not only voted Trump
back and as president, but who also put the Republicans
in charge of the Senate, a result on the Congress
votes yet to come through. But look, either way, Trump
is in charge, even more so at this time because
he's not just president. His Republican Party itself has shown
whose boss as well in the eyes of the voters,

(03:06):
which is bringing these dire warnings today, which I think
would be very easy for me, or for anyone actually
to jump on board with, because I think for a
lot of people, their default position is anti Trump. Look,
even though I think he's a horrible person, I'm not
going to switch to default on this one or at

(03:28):
the stage. Have I told you I met him once,
met Trump once. I'll come back to that later on.
But when I watched him making his big victory speech
last night, I did wonder this. I wondered how many
of those cronies who were on the stage with him,
how many will still be with him in four years time.
There will be some casualties. We know that, and he

(03:48):
made it very clear that America is going to be
his first priority. In fact, he said that outright, but
on the basis that the world didn't fall to bits
last time he was president. I'm not buying into the hysteria.
I could be proven wrong, but yet again that's my
good old gun instinct telling me. Unlike political commentator Matthew Houghton,

(04:08):
who was putting out a very dire warning in the
New Zealand Herald today under the headline America entering most
dangerous period since eighteen sixty one, and he's saying today quote,
the world enters its most dangerous period since World War II,
with Trump threatening to abandon Ukraine, withdraw the US's security
in Europe, which will encourage Russian's Vladimir Putin to expand

(04:32):
his ambitions westward, launch a global trade war, and collapse
the World Trade Organization. Matthew Hurton. He goes on to
say Trump has also promised to jail his political opponents.
He made similar threats in twenty sixteen that he didn't
act upon, but back then his circle included at least
some people who could be relied upon to keep his

(04:53):
most extreme tendencies in check. This is Matthew Houghton saying
this in the Herald today. He says there are no
such people around him this time, nor is he constrained
by the need to worry about re election. He says
bard standing for reelection in twenty twenty eight the dangerous.
He will seek to hold on to power by other means.
And Matthew Howton concludes by saying, quote, the US enters

(05:15):
He talked about the world entering its most dangerous pace
since World War II. He goes on to say, the
US itself enters its most dangerous period since eighteen sixty one,
the start of the Civil War. But I'm not buying
into that.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
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