Look, this is getting too weird. The parallels between Indonesian president elect Prabowo Subianto and America’s Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is getting a little too uncanny. Contrary to popular belief, the things that they have in common are not merely their superior skills in groovy fist-pumping and jivey hip-swinging. No. There are other, much less trivial parallels between the two that readers must notice.
Before Prabowo’s recent victory in the Indonesian presidential elections, the parallels between him and Trump were already obvious. Both were obscenely wealthy men born into privileged families. Both have a strong affinity and background with the military (albeit much more so in the case of Prabowo). Both aren’t exactly angels when it comes to their dealings with the law — having racked up cases ranging from human rights violations to business document falsifications. Even back then, before the world’s largest archipelago voted with their feet, the two already seemed like long-lost twins.
But Prabowo’s recent victory as well as Trump’s recent criminal conviction revealed another deep parallel between the two. The reason Prabowo’s campaign was very successful in garnering the majority of voters was due to his newly warm and relatable public image as a kind, innocent elderly man. Trump’s recent criminal conviction may have a similar effect for the voters of America. Through his highly questionable, controversial, and very public loss in the court system, Trump seems to be garnering sympathies that may translate to more votes — not dissimilar to how Prabowo captured voters through their sympathy — rather than their patriotism.
A Wealth of Sympathy
Trump became a convicted felon on 30th May 2024. 24 hours later, his campaign received $53 million in donations, bringing his total donations in May to $141 million. To provide some context to the $53 million in 24 hours — bear in mind that his campaign received $76 million for the whole month of April.
One week after that record breaking event, Silicon Valley billionaire David Sacks held a fundraiser for Trump. Despite Silicon Valley’s highly liberal and leftist population, the fund raiser managed to raise an impressive $12 million in one day. Although Peter Thiel has historically been Silicon Valey’s most famous staunch supporter of Trump — other tech magnates have very recently hopped on the Trump train.
Along with David Sacks (who is a former member of the PayPal Mafia), former Facebook executive and now Venture Capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya and the Winklevoss twins (cryptocurrency investors) have publicly stated and donated significant amounts of assets to the Republican candidate. (I use the word assets because the Winklevoss twins donated $2 million worth of bitcoin to Donald Trump — one wonders if the 78-year-old even understands what the hell he just received).
Along with gaining sympathy from the rich, Trump is also garnering warm feelings from the general population and prominent political figures. About half of the country believes that his conviction was politically motivated and machinated by his opponents. Political commentators and practitioners who are not necessarily supporters of Trump such as Fareed Zakaria, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mitt Romney — have publicly stated their condemnation on Trump’s unjust trials.
The King of Hearts
The previously indestructible image of Trump has recently been cracked by his very real risk of imprisonment — something that no one thought could happen to a former US President and current presidential candidate. And something no one thought could happen to the previously untouchable Trump. Such events have removed Trump off of his high pedestal and made him more relatable to the populace. Just like what Prabowo did in Indonesia, Trump is now adopting a more humanist, down-to-earth and fun approach in his campaigning efforts.
He has recently done numerous online interviews and podcasts to show more of his softer side in the midst of his recent criminal circus show. He did a deep-dive online interview with celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil, sharing his current mental state, his family’s condition, and even mentioning his relationship with psychological trauma. He did an interview with millennial Youtuber and social media Influencer Logan Paul to capture the attention of the more lighthearted youth of America. The 78-year-old even joined video-sharing app Tik Tok recently and has posted several viral videos for his campaign.
This softer, more humanist and fun side of him is contrary to the loud-mouthed, megalomaniac demeanor he emanated during his previous presidential campaigns. The dictatorial, populist rhetoric seems to have mellowed — possibly due to a combination of age and countless court room batterings.
If Trump follows the footsteps of his Indonesian brother from another mother, if he continues to play on the sympathetic heart strings of voters, he might very well win the presidency. Not in a patriotic, powerful, patriarchal, populist manner that he and Prabowo previously envisioned for themselves — but a win nonetheless.