Trump whipped up fear, misinformation, Democratic Party failed to connect: John Kerry
John Kerry identified immigration and inflation as the two primary factors that drove Donald Trump’s success, even though economic indicators were positive
NEW DELHI: The Democratic Party failed to connect with American voters on fundamental issues while President-elect Donald Trump successfully whipped up fear and misinformation to win the recent presidential elections, former US secretary of state John Kerry said on Saturday.
In a wide-ranging discussion with former ambassador of India to the US Navtej Sarna at the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Kerry offered a candid insider’s assessment of Trump’s return to power, the struggles to combat the climate crisis, and the geopolitical challenges in West Asia and Europe where the prognosis, according to him, appeared mixed.
Kerry attributed Trump’s victory largely to the Democratic Party’s failure to connect with voters on fundamental issues, despite strong economic indicators. “My party, the Democratic Party, I regret to say, was somewhat tone deaf to some of the cultural issues,” Kerry said, pointing to a crucial disconnect with voters.
The former secretary of state identified immigration and inflation as the two primary factors that drove Trump’s success, even though economic indicators were positive. “Despite inflation coming down, despite significant strength in the American economy — I think we’re the strongest economy on the planet today — and despite that getting better, people didn’t feel it,” Kerry explained.
He referenced a lesson from his university days. “All politics is a consequence of felt needs,” he said, noting that Americans’ perceived lack of fair share in prosperity played a crucial role in the election outcome.
Looking ahead to Trump’s return to the White House, Kerry warned of immediate executive actions, particularly on climate agreements and immigration. “You will see a series of executive orders issued on day one,” he predicted, expressing concern about a potential withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement — a move he said even ExxonMobil chairman Darren Woods has advised against as “counterproductive.”
The career Democrat party member was the party’s presidential nominee in 2004, when he lost to incumbent George Bush, he was the secretary of state between 2013 and 2017 as part of the Obama administration, and had been designated the special presidential envoy on climate change by outgoing US President Joe Biden.
Kerry’s assessment of the climate crisis was particularly stark. “We are blowing past 1.5 degrees right now as we sit here,” he declared, emphasising that this challenge transcends political divisions. “Nothing that President Biden tried to do or I tried to do in these last four years came from anything political — no ideology, no politics, no liberal conservative, one party, whatever. It was driven by mathematics and physics, and some biology and chemistry.”
He identified 23 key nations as crucial to addressing the crisis, with China, the United States, and India leading global emissions. “China’s number one: 30% of all emissions, United States is number two, India’s number three,” Kerry detailed, while noting that 48 sub-Saharan African states combined account for just 0.55% of emissions.
Progress has been made, but not enough, Kerry said. “When I started this in 2020 as a formal position for President Biden, we were heading to 4 degrees — 3.7 degrees warming on the planet. Because of what we got out of Glasgow, Sharm El-Sheikh, and then Dubai, if we did everything we promised to do, we could actually hold the Earth’s temperature increase to about 1.7 degrees, but we’re not doing what we know we should do.”
On Ukraine, Kerry offered an unexpectedly optimistic view of potential resolution, suggesting the situation is “ripe” for negotiation. He outlined possible agreement frameworks including land arrangements, defence agreements without NATO membership, and economic partnerships.
However, he warned against US withdrawal from support for Ukraine, stating it would have far-reaching implications. “If President Trump were just to pull out, I think he’d have some major challenges within his own party. And globally, the repercussions would be just as damaging as anything you could imagine,” Kerry cautioned, citing concerns from Moldova, Georgia, Finland, and the Baltic states.
Regarding the West Asia crisis, Kerry said the October 7 attacks were “as egregious, as horrendous, as disgusting, as craven, as bestial as anything I have seen in a long, long time,” noting their profound impact on Israeli politics and peace prospects. He highlighted the complexities of achieving a two-state solution, pointing to the expansion of settlements from 110,000 to 600,000 since the Oslo Accords.
Despite the numerous challenges, Kerry maintained an optimistic outlook, citing global progress in various areas. “Life is better today for many people, most people in the world,” he said, pointing to reduced violence, medical advances, and improved opportunities for women. Quoting President Kennedy, he concluded that “the problems of the world are mostly caused by human choices, and therefore they can be solved.”