President Trump has recently posted tweets boasting excellent relations with the Swedish President in an attempt to resolve a situation involving the arrest and detainment of American Rapper, A$AP Rocky. This recent foreign policy move by POTUS has left some scratching their heads and wondering who is A$AP Rocky? Why is Trump involved? And how does this fit into his broader 2020 calculations?
On June 30, A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was allegedly involved in a physical altercation in Stockholm. The rapper and members of his security team were involved in a verbal altercation with two men, which led to the assault of 19-year old Mustafa Jafari. Mayers turned himself in to authorities on June 3, and was detained in what his entourage has described as inhumane conditions. The Swedish authorities denied these claims, but the news motivated prominent figures in the music industry to campaign for A$AP’s freedom through online petitions and the #FreeRocky/#JusticeforA$AP public awareness movement. One particular connection within the Hip Hop community, Kanye West, helped gain the attention of the President, provoking Trump’s involvement in the matter. West has previously avidly supported Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) mantra, whilst his wife, Kim Kardashian, has previously leveraged this connection in the pursuit of criminal justice reform. Heading their call once more, Trump took to Twitter.
The President demanded A$AP Rocky’s freedom online and phoned the Swedish President to resolve the matter. However, the Swedish government only emphasised the importance of judicial independence and therefore have refrained from interfering. To further support matters, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Robert C. O’Brien, was sent to assist A$AP and his legal team. To some, this may seem just another random policy decision by Trump, but this may actually be an attempt to advance his own political standing as the 2020 Presidential elections approach. This is particularly pertinent to Trump’s perceived race problem. When questioned about the A$AP Rocky situation, Trump stated that the rapper had tremendous support from the African American community…and when I say African American, I think I can say everyone in this country, because we are all one”. Such comments stand in direct contrast to the President’s “hate agenda ” against the self-proclaimed “Squad” consisting of four progressive Congresswomen, as well as against Baltimore’s African American Congressman, Elijah Cummings. Trump has faced severe criticism for saying that “the squad” should go back to where they came, despite all being American citizens (and only one being born overseas, residing in the USA for 20 years). In typical Trump fashion, he denied accusations of racism and later went on to attack African American anti-police brutality activist, Al Sharpton, claiming he “Hates Whites and Cops”.
Despite these racially charged comments, the extent of Trump’s nefariousness has been questioned by the Coalition of African American Pastors head, and Alveda King (the niece of Martin Luther King Jr.) whom stated it is “hard to believe” that Trump is a racist and that ‘black’ communities are “being blessed” by the Trump Administration, respectively. So, if Trump is a racist, the why do such figures assert the opposite? This question is one that seems as divisive as any regarding Trump. However, there is no clear answer. This provides the President with a significant advantage over his political opponents, likely an unintentional tactic, that may render a 2020 contest difficult.
Trump’s 2020 platform to date seems to include a tough on crime stance, reintroducing the Federal death penalty; a nationalist economic agenda, with further tariff restrictions on Chinese imports; an anti-immigration stance, with his signature border wall recently overcoming a Supreme Court challenge; and, a promise to end American involvement in Afghanistan. Despite these rather orthodox Trump policies, the President’s governance style is of particular importance to his success and popularity, specifically amongst his base. Trump has been able to morph into an unpredictable political machine that, as experienced by the Democrats in 2016, can be difficult to overcome. This may oddly owe to his contradictory and ambiguous policy platform. With each day of his Presidency, America and the world has become more accustomed to the norm that is his provocative rhetoric and inconsistent policies. For Democrats contesting him in 2020, this means that critiquing his unpresidential nature resonates less with people as time goes on. In 2016, his shocking Presidential run ultimately proved successful, and despite the myriad of controversies and criticisms surrounding his Presidency, hopes for impeachment, Russian collusion, and winning back houses of Congress have fallen short.
Trump does have an issue with race. His support of A$AP Rocky, and the positive result of him being permitted to return to the US until a verdict is decided, can be considered a means to resolve that race problem. Only time will tell whether this is a deliberate part of a broader 2020 strategy, or simply a random Trump spectacle. However, what remains certain is that Trump is unlikely to revoke his controversial rhetoric and populist policies, to maintain the appeal his base adores. How the President will use race as a political tool has many nervous, and if 2016 is anything to go by, a platform of unity, love and respect is hard to fathom. The burning question that should be on the minds of 2020 Democratic candidates should be: What other means are there to criticise the President besides the tactics used for 4 years? How do they make sure not to repeat 2016? And, what would a second term mean for America and the world?
