On March 31, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson shocked the world when, in the middle of a speech on a totally different topic, he said: “I shall not seek and will not accept the nomination of my party for president in 1968.”
Johnson went on to suggest that he wanted to devote his full-time capacities to addressing the problems of our nation and not use his time for campaigning.
Could President Trump do the same? We are now in July of the election year, yet it remains distinctly possible.
Johnson and Trump have a lot in common, and some of the challenges they face are similar too. For example, both men possess strong egos and are self-confident.
Johnson confronted and escalated a hugely unpopular war with no end in sight. Many people in the United States blamed him for it. They shouted, “LBJ, LBJ, how many kids have you killed today?” Trump confronts the understandably unpopular COVID-19. Every time there seems to be an end in sight, it proves to be a mirage. Whether justified or not, many potential voters blame Trump for the deaths that have occurred in this pandemic.
Johnson also faced surging racial unrest. It was a challenge just to put the nation at ease. Trump faces the same problem — perhaps an even more intense version of it. Johnson faced a virulent, hostile press. The same is true of Trump, although he fights back more than Johnson. (Johnson did try to fight back, but he largely failed.)
Most importantly, by the time of their reelection, both men seemed tired and exhausted and had lost their mojo. Some readers will recall what happened next.
Hubert Humphrey, Johnson’s vice president, was thought of as a “nice guy.” He ran for president and lost to Richard M. Nixon. Could Vice President Mike Pence also follow that path?
Johnson abandoned his reelection bid because he was finished. Unfortunately, he died not long after he left office.
Trump could not easily fold at this point. But the path of the possible is clear. If he wishes to remain in the race and make a serious bid for reelection, he must begin by turning the focus away from himself and toward what he would do in the next four years.
Trump needs to demonstrate, with specifics, how he will restore and improve the economy. He must, in a believable way, confront racial inequality and go to his strength, promoting economic equality, clearly spelling out how opportunity zones can provide a path toward that goal. Without self-aggrandizement, he must show how he will provide decisive leadership in world affairs and how it will help voters.
After stating his positive goals, Trump can then go to what he enjoys. He can discuss how his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, has accomplished virtually nothing in public life and has been persistently wrong on foreign policy issues, arguing that if he himself had such a record, he would hide in the same way Biden is hiding.
What path will Trump follow? Only one person can provide the answer to that question.
Victor Schwartz, a former law professor and law school dean, practices law in Washington, D.C. He served in both a Republican and Democratic presidential administration.
