As the coronavirus pandemic
continues to sweep the nation, tensions are rising as new, tighter restrictions
continue to be imposed and enforced in order to lessen the consequences of the
deadly virus. Michigan in particular has been a hotbed of unrest, with Governor
Gretchen Whitmer facing backlash after the announcement of her latest
stay-at-home order. Michigan has been one of the hardest hit states in the
nation, with the third-highest number of confirmed coronavirus-related deaths, according to data collected by the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention. To reduce the rate of
infection within the state, Whitmer’s executive order on April 9th imposed some
of the country’s tightest restrictions. Even amidst tough restrictions,
Governor Whitmer has the support of the majority of the state. A poll released
on April 20th by the Detroit
Regional Chamber of Commerce found that 57 percent of Michigan residents approved of
Whitmer, compared to only 37 percent who disapproved of her approach to the
crisis. However, these new mandates were not received well by all Michigan
residents, with thousands of far-right conservatives flocking to the state
capital of Lansing to protest. Many of the protestors flew Trump 2020 flags and
sported MAGA gear as they demonstrated over concerns that the new stay-at-home
order is in violation of constitutional rights. Regardless of the favorable
opinion shown in the polls, and the support of the majority of Michigan voters,
the impact of the protest was still significant. Despite the protest being
ostensibly called to oppose the additional restrictions, it was also “the
clearest sign yet of a simmering ideological movement on the right resisting
government mandates over the virus” (Gabriel
and Marin, 2020).
The spotlight was initially shone on
Whitmer last month when President Trump cavalierly referred to her as “the
woman in Michigan.” (Zeleny,
2020) Whitmer has become a political target as she is widely considered to be a
potential contender to run alongside Joe Biden as vice president. Even if she
is not selected as the vice presidential nominee, her popularity may help the Democratic party
win Michigan in the presidential election. Trump has continued to make other condescending
comments about her, including referring to her as “Gretchen ‘Half’ Whitmer,” and
describing her as being “in over her head." (Mehta,
2020) Trump’s success as a charismatic leader against a rival depends on
his ability to creatively redefine legitimate leadership and cast his opponents
as “unworthy challengers.” (Joosse,
2018) Trump’s disregard for the norms that have traditionally governed
political behavior has made him extremely compelling to certain audiences. On the
other hand, his opponents, including Governor Whitmer, rarely stray from the traditional
norms of civility, making it challenging for them to respond to his often racist, sexist,
and xenophobic comments. Trump further established Whitmer as an “unworthy
challenger” by openly opposing her radical approach to the coronavirus crisis
as he discusses easing national guidelines for social distancing, and then
drawing upon the protests as evidence of Whitmer’s performative failure.
In a tweet posted on the Friday
following the demonstration, President Trump called upon his followers to
“Liberate Michigan” despite the clear reports of the protestors being in
violation of federal social distancing guidelines (Gabriel
and Marin, 2020). The blatant disregard of the safety of Michigan residents
indicates Trump’s intentions to use this crisis as a political platform for the
upcoming presidential election rather than to address the pandemic as the
catastrophic health crisis that it is. Trump’s charismatic leadership has
earned him an extensive group of “devoted followers.” According to Paul
Joosse’s theory of charismatic counter-roles, individuals are more likely
to participate in a cause if they expect a large number of other people to
participate as well. As a result, “leaders may be tempted to draw attention to
the performances of devoted followers as a means of setting up conditions that
are favorable for motivating others to join the movement.” (Joosse,
2018) In this particular case, Trump’s endorsement of protestors serves as
a way to gain more followers by demonstrating his legitimacy through the
performed devotion of the protestors.
Trump is continuing to establish his
charismatic authority through performative interactions with both his “devoted
followers” and “unworthy challengers”. Through these interactions, Trump
ensures that he “is cast as eminently competent while the conventional rivals
are rendered seemingly inexperienced, ill equipped, and outmoded.” (Joosse,
2018) These interactions also establish his social value as a result of
the “triangular relationship between the leader, enraptured followers, and
witnesses who are party to, and potentially inspired by, the devotional
performances of the followers.” (Joosse,
2018) Trump has used the pandemic crisis and his authority as charismatic
leader to further his own ends in pursuit of another presidential term by
utilizing charismatic counter-roles to provide authenticity to his
performance.
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