The key point in the campaign of presidential candidates is the idea that the United States is in decline. And it was clear after the June 2024 debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. According to Trump, the political image of the United States is not good at the global level. He also claimed that if Putin had respected the American president, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine. Trump also said that under the leadership of Joe Biden, the reputation of the nation has been damaged internationally.
But Joe Biden totally opposed this opinion and said that the US still has the finest military in the world. Also, this nation remains well-respected at the
global level. He was surprised about Trump’s negative opinion and said he had never heard this type of presidential talk about the United States before.
Although polls seem to back Biden’s argument, many politicians continue to discuss national decline because it taps into public fears about security, concerns over other countries’ rising influence, and dissatisfaction with America’s internal challenges.
It is important to know that this type of dramatic talk about Trump is very common in US politics. Back to the 1960 presidential election when John F. Kennedy, then a senator from Massachusetts, issued a warning letter. According to him, the United States was falling behind the Soviet Union in areas like space exploration and international respect.
He expressed his concern during the debate with Vice President Richard Nixon on September 26, 1960. According to him, he didn’t want historians to look back and see those years as the time when America started to decline. Since then, this type of warning about national decline has become the way for different presidents to win the election campaign.
Challengers frequently claim the country is losing ground or respect, which forces those currently in power to defend their record.
This research clearly points out how worries about America’s decline affect people’s thoughts on foreign policy. In March 2024, many people tested this by expressing three different messages. One of the groups read that the United States is declining when compared to other nations. Another group saw a message saying that fears about decline are exaggerated, while the last group read something unrelated to politics.
Those who read about America’s decline felt more fear, anger, and anxiety. For instance, one person worried that other countries would not respect the US, if it appeared weak. Surprisingly, the message that downplayed the decline didn’t ease these concerns. About 30% of both liberal and conservative participants rejected the idea that concerns about decline were exaggerated, compared to just 11% of those who read about decline. Some even questioned the seriousness of the message, citing issues like health care as evidence of decline.
How to fight emotion with emotion?
In July 2024, Biden announced that he would never run the 2024 election campaign. After this announcement, the democratic message changed significantly. However, he also said that Kamala Harris will stand as the new presidential candidate and Tim Walz as her running mate. Their campaign has mixed warnings about their opponent with positive hopeful messages. Harris and Walz both celebrated Walz’s coaching careers.
Harris also feels proud of her mother’s work. Harris addressed Americans and her speech created new hope. She also encouraged people to get ready to write a new chapter in the history of America. She also offered a hopeful counter to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan with her “Not Going Back” message. Walz, in his first appearance as vice-presidential candidate, thanked Harris for “bringing back the joy.”
Their rallies are energetic and upbeat, contrasting with what Harris describes as Trump’s gloomy events. One campaign press release even called it “Joy and Freedom vs. Whatever the Hell That Was.”
Where does the US stand globally in the 2024 campaign?
Harris and her fellows mainly focused on domestic issues such as abortion rights and economic inequality. However, the debate about where America stands globally is still important. Harris’s supporters believe that she will improve the US position worldwide at the same time. Her opponents argue that she might be weakening America’s image globally.
At the same time, Trump calls the US a nation in decline. But Harris made promises that America would never lose against China. She strongly criticized all those who spoke against the United States.
Campaigns have long warned about American decline, and this approach is unlikely to change soon.
