Trump, Political Incorrectness, and the Anti-PC Cultural Revolt

Introduction

When Donald Trump launched his campaign for the presidency, most people — including most political analysts — did not believe he stood a chance. Here was a billionaire known for his brash language and taste for controversy. His role as a reality TV show host seemed to make him especially unqualified for politics. Because politicians must constantly balance the interests of various stakeholders and ensure that no constituency feels aggrieved, they are largely expected to thrive on political correctness. TV show business, by contrast, thrives on controversy and suspense. As a reality TV host, Trump was all business, and his direct, no-holds-barred approach endeared him to millions of viewers around the world. He was uniquely qualified for showbiz — not politics. In simple terms, here was an individual whose public life revolved around models and buildings, and whose language was, for the most part, brutally honest — or impolite, depending on your perspective. His disposition, to some, was "unpresidential."

Yet this inexperienced political newcomer ended up defeating seasoned politicians. The first surprise came in the primaries, where he managed to defeat a total of 16 established GOP candidates. He then outmaneuvered the Hillary Clinton political machinery and clinched the presidency. Today, he continues to confound both friend and foe. Trump's ascent to the presidency — against all odds and expectations — raises an important question: are we in the middle of a cultural revolt against political correctness, the concept that has long defined the world of politics? If so, how did we arrive here, and what are the consequences?

Defining Political Correctness and Its Discontents

From the outset, it is important to note that according to Mooney and Evans (2015), political correctness can be defined as the use of language in a way that is neither demeaning nor discriminatory. From a broad perspective, political incorrectness encompasses all measures, policies, and language that could be deemed offensive or disadvantageous to a particular constituency. This discussion largely focuses on the linguistic dimension of political correctness. When an individual says something that could be regarded as politically unwise, that individual can be said to be politically incorrect. It should be noted, however, that from a linguistic point of view, political correctness remains a contentious issue — one that, as NPR (2016) observes, pits the concepts of inclusion and civility against free choice and free speech.

Donald Trump raised this issue directly at one of his rallies. In an August 2015 appearance on Meet the Press, Trump complained that the culture of political correctness was suffocating free speech (Morini, 2020). In his view, one could not say anything without opponents finding a way to misrepresent it. According to Marron (2019), political correctness is responsible for creating an extremely restrictive socio-political environment. The author argues that prior to Trump — and to some extent even today — it had become the norm for national interests, common sense, and truth to be suppressed in an attempt to promote ideals closely linked to equality and diversity. From this perspective, political correctness not only threatens the wellbeing of individual citizens but of the entire nation. Marron (2019) further contends that political correctness stifles self-expression by enforcing a duty not to offend others — often at the expense of truth and honesty.

The problem, however, is that free speech does not have clearly defined boundaries. Free speech can easily be used as a cover for hate speech — and herein lies the central tension. Moreover, the assertion that political correctness obstructs free speech implies that people have a right to offend, which is difficult to defend — otherwise, there would be no libel law. Regardless, Conway (2020) argues that deep down, people do not like being barred from expressing their most deeply held feelings. When such feelings become entrenched and achieve general consensus among a population, their expressive format tends to crystallize into an ideology. This perspective brings us into the realm of ideology proper.

Trump's Politically Incorrect Playbook

Trump's political incorrectness cannot be divorced from ideology. According to Kress and Hodge (as cited in Mooney and Evans, 2015), ideology can be defined as a set of ideas organized from a well-defined perspective. If Conway's assertion is correct — that people resent being prevented from expressing themselves — then contemporary political incorrectness could be identified as a well-entrenched ideology whose leading crusader is Donald Trump. The President may essentially serve as an outlet through which deeply held but previously suppressed beliefs are coming to the fore. This helps explain the increased normalization of sentiments that would have been considered outrageous two or three decades ago. It is worth noting that an ideology need not be explicitly stated. Many people conceal specific viewpoints from peers or from public life when those viewpoints lack popular support — which also explains why Trump consistently outperforms what public opinion polls predict.

In an attempt to win votes, many politicians deliberately promise the impossible and traffic in falsehoods. They have mastered the art of adapting their language to appeal to all stakeholders. When addressing gun owners, they present themselves as staunch defenders of the Second Amendment. When seeking support from those who favor stricter gun laws, they shift seamlessly to that discourse. This chameleon-like behavior has long been called the art of being a politician. A modern politician like Donald Trump is an interesting specimen in this regard — he appears to have broken every rule of political discourse, yet remains more popular than at any point during his first year in politics.

A number of Trump's most outrageous remarks would have ended the careers of politicians before him. Yet it is precisely his unapologetic and abrasive style of expression that has endeared him to many supporters. Almost single-handedly, the President appears to have relegated political correctness to the political dustbin. According to NPR (2016), Trump has been denouncing political correctness from the moment he entered the presidential race, repeatedly stating that it is one of America's biggest problems.

On the campaign trail, Trump made numerous declarations that were clearly politically incorrect. At one point, he called for a total ban on Muslims entering the United States, telling the cheering crowd that he expected criticism for being politically incorrect — and he was promptly criticized from across the political divide. In perhaps the most striking example of his politically incorrect language, Trump referred to Mexicans in terms widely considered derogatory. He used a public forum to mock a disabled man. At another event, he appeared to ridicule the parents of a soldier killed in action. No other politician has gone as far as Trump in discrediting the press and survived politically. He has referred to the press as the "enemy of the people" and "dishonest," and has called members of the media "disgusting," "slime," and "scum." Yet he remained a top contender for the most powerful office in the land. Two decades ago, few would have believed such discourse could be acceptable in a society that considers itself cosmopolitan.

Conclusion

Mooney, A., & Evans, B. (2015). Language, society and power. New York, NY: Routledge.

Morini, M. (2020). Lessons from Trump's political communication: How to dominate the media environment. Belmont, CA: Springer Nature.

NPR (2016). 'Politically correct': The phrase has gone from wisdom to weapon. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/12/14/505324427/politically-correct-the-phrase-has-gone-from-wisdom-to-weapon

Travers, M. (2019). In new research, psychologists explore the upside of political incorrectness. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2019/10/09/in-new-research-psychologists-explore-the-upside-of-political-incorrectness/