The “Political Fixer” in the Age of Trump

Since Donald Trump entered the White House, renewed attention has been paid to the outsized role of the “political fixer” in American politics. The hardnosed Republican strategist Roger Stone has come to epitomize this part as shown in the awarding-winning documentary “Get Me Roger Stone”, which screened last month at the “Docs and Talks” festival presented by Cinemateket and DIIS.

In this article, Matthew Fallon Hinds casts a more skeptical eye. He argues that despite Trump’s ascendance, “political fixers” are not particularly special or novel, but rather they have been woven into the fabric of American politics since the days of the “Founding Fathers.” What is new and striking, however, is the question as to whether the “political fixer” will play a significant role in the future of politics. With the rising tide of populism felt on both sides of the Atlantic, elected officials have begun to blatantly showcase their eagerness to bend and break longstanding rules and norms as a means of strategy to entice voters, without people like Roger Stone acting as intermediaries. Instead, they take on the role themselves.