Citizens do not appreciate it
Indeed, they don't. Research shows that citizens are concerned about this kind of communication and do not appreciate it. Van 't Riet cites experiments in which people received messages with and without disrespectful communication. The conclusion is that they almost always do not appreciate the disrespectful message, especially the person communicating it. 'There are also studies showing that support for Trump's presidency dropped when he posted rude tweets, even among his most loyal supporters,' van 't Riet says. So why does Trump keep doing this anyway?
Polarisation, attention, and showing a fighter's mentality
Van 't Riet thinks politicians are disrespectful for three reasons: polarisation, attracting attention, and showing a fighter's mentality.
Attention is a powerful tool in politics
Polarisation
Disrespectful communication at Trump's level only takes place in an environment with a lot of polarisation, as in America. In the US electoral system, you can choose two parties, so voters quickly have to choose between extremes. Then, the debate automatically becomes more about the person than the content. It works extra well to say,' You don't have to take this opponent of mine seriously; what this person says is absolute nonsense.'
Drawing attention
In addition, disrespectful communication sticks with people. Everyone can still recount Trump calling all media in which he makes a bad impression 'fake news'. Everyone still knows the "get a grip, man" from Wilders. 'Attention is a powerful tool in politics. If a statement goes viral, everyone talks about you; that is what you want.
Fighter mentality
'Many Republican supporters say they dislike Trump, but praise him for his fighter mentality,' says van 't Riet. They see him as a man who dominates debates with aggression and can see him doing the same in global politics. 'He just says it; he is a man of the people' are comments you often hear. Is there a response from Democrats to this way of communicating?
‘When they go low, we go high’?
In 2016, Michelle Obama famously said: "When they go low, we go high." In other words, we don't lower ourselves by insulting our opponents. According to Van 't Riet, there is a sensible side to this. Can you win it if you play by the rules of experienced bullies? Who wins, then? Still, Democrats must have an answer to the attention Trump is getting with his statements.
‘Trump is weird’
'You can see that Democrats are cautiously starting to say nasty things,' says van 't Riet. Tim Waltz, the Democrats' vice-presidential candidate, recently called Trump and his party "weird". "They're running for a he-man woman haters club or something," Waltz said. 'The textbook example of political incivility. I don't necessarily find it reassuring, but I imagine it's a rational choice for the democrats,' van 't Riet says.
If you attack political opponents by dismissing their significance, you go against the basic principles of democracy
Is political incivility only harmful?
Van 't Riet believes that political incivility can be helpful in some cases. 'Groups with less political influence can still be heard and get attention this way. However, it should never damage the basis of democracy; we should consult together and find solutions. If you attack political opponents by dismissing their significance, you go against the basic principles of democracy.'
