- Molling recalls Trump production to "Life of Brian"
Security expert Christian Mölling warned against focusing on substantive statements during the US Republican Party convention. He described it as "more of a religious or pseudo-religious movement" in the stern-Podcast "Die Lage – international" on Friday. Mölling referred to the convention, which declared Donald Trump as the presidential candidate, as a "very burlesque show". Mölling further stated, "When you see that people cling to this association – that's like in the life of Brian, where everyone follows a shoe that has become worship-worthy by chance." Trump's role in this perspective was compared to that of a Kaiser from God's grace. "He is essentially the representative of God on earth, he is God-willed, appointed by God. And what is that: That is an old definition of monarchy," said Mölling.
Donald Trump as Kaiser, exempt from the laws
An interesting parallel to similar movements is the claim "to be inevitable and to stand beyond the law." In Mölling's assessment, a system collapses when its leader is no longer subject to criticism from within. However, in the case of Trump's movement, this does not necessarily have to happen before the US presidential election in November. The expert predicted that the assassination attempt against Trump during the long campaign would fade into the background. Trump's campaign has a "large machine room that is quite good." He will pick up the mood: "If they realize that the theme no longer pulls, they will pull something else out of the pot." With the future policy of a possible Trump administration, this does not necessarily have anything to do. Mölling: "My thesis is: We are going completely wrong about these things. We try to take statements and analyze them. That's totally irrelevant to them."
Mölling denied that Europe would find itself in a completely new situation with a Trump victory. "We've seen this whole movie before," he said. The demands made by Trump at the convention towards the allies were dismissed as "old camels." The task of Europeans is relatively simple, namely: "To make it clear to the Americans, including the American middle class, that they have no interest in an unstable Europe that is under massive Russian influence." Independently of this, it is "an obligation" to defend oneself and react appropriately to the reality of a war in Europe – concretely with higher defense spending instead of sticking to the debt brake.
Despite his warnings about focusing on substantive statements, many RepublicanAmericans continue to view Donald Trump as a divine figure, exempt from criticism. This belief was echoed by Christian Mölling, who compared Trump's role to a Kaiser in the United States of America, suggesting a potential monarchy.
Even after the assassination attempt during his campaign, Trump's supporters remain loyal, with his campaign's "large machine room" ensuring its continuity. Christian Mölling, however, emphasized that understanding Trump's policy intentions through his statements is misguided, suggesting that Europe should approach a potential Trump administration with a different strategy.
