Rejected by the “elites”, but elected by the people. Called a “fascist” but won outright by universal suffrage. Presented as the absolute “devil” by the self-proclaimed champions of democratic virtue. The Trump case has much to illuminate the French political debate.

First of all, there is the colossal gap between the media, cultural and other opinion multipliers, and public opinion itself, which clearly preferred him to Kamala Harris. This should not lead us to question the supposed “fault” of the electorate, but rather the representativeness of those who hold the upper hand. There is always a paradox in setting oneself up as a defender of democracy while deploring the expression of universal suffrage. Then there was Donald Trump’s ability not only to appeal to a popular electorate that was not the natural breeding ground for Republicans, but also to win over the “minorities” that his opponents had…