Phil Quin: Trump's ultranationalist speech dashes hopes of those who didn't support him

OPINION: As predecessors Jimmy Carter, George W Bush, and the outgoing Barack Obama looked on stony faced, the new president Donald Trump delivered the most ultranationalist speech by any US leader in living memory.

Any hope that Trump would pivot back to the governing norms that have undergirded American democracy were dashed in no uncertain terms. I expected a poor speech; I saw a terrible and terrifying one.

Trump displayed no interest in extending a hand to the majority of Americans who did not vote for him. Instead, his inaugural address was aimed squarely at the tea party and alt-right base that animated his candidacy.

His repeated use of the term "America First" was reminiscent of Charles Lindbergh, the depression-era aviator who gained dubious prominence for his pro-Nazi views, and once considered a tilt at the White House himself. He finally got his inaugural address 70 years later, delivered by Donald J Trump.

READ MORE:
* Live: Trump takes office amid protests
* US President Donald Trump sworn in
* Anti-Trump protests turn violent, dozens arrested
* President Trump's inauguration speech
*  Why Hillary showed up in support
* Revolution, ritual and pomp: Inauguration is pure political theatre
* Climate change culled from White House website

The optics of the event were revealing as well. The Trump team made no effort to put America's diversity on display. Instead, the ethnically  monochromatic and sparse audience, along with the performances of an all-caucasian Missouri choir and the Mormon Tabernacle only reinforced the impression that only white voters matter now.

When it came to America's inner cities, home to most minorities, he used the chilling phrase, "American carnage" to describe the state of these communities. This will come as a surprise to black and Hispanics, who experience no such horrors on a daily basis, and where crime rates have been falling precipitously for decades.

It reflects Trump's outdated and racially troubling view of urban America and its inhabitants, whom he reduces to gang members, drug dealers and violent criminals.

As conservative commentator Rick Wilson tweeted, "Much like his convention speech, it's a portrait of a dark, dead America, fuelled by the promise of revenge and economic fantasy".

This was no better illustrated than in the profoundly ahistorical statement by Trump that "when you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice".

Has he never read a book, or even flicked on to the History Channel by mistake?  The role of patriotism in driving ethno-nationalist conflict is ubiquitous across history. How and why Trump fails to see this this would boggle the mind of a high school student.

As Trump's operation was busy selling Made- in-China memorabilia, he spent much of his speech insisting that his singular focus as President will be to ensure American economic, military and geopolitical supremacy. Given the extensive menu of available outrages, this shameless hypocrisy almost seems petty.

In short, Trump's speech was paean to the base, and represented no effort on his part to broaden his coalition. Given his approval ratings are lagging below 40%, it's hard to see how this strategy alone will make for a successful administration.

This is not to mention the myriad conflicts of interest and alleged Russian ties that will tie the Trump administration in knots during its first few months, perhaps much longer.

This will hamper his capacity to deliver on his main election promises, most notably to repeal Obamacare and replace it with "something better" and to build a wall at the Mexican border and to force Mexico itself to pay for it.

Perhaps the only good news is that Trump's choice to go with his base and his base alone will ultimately make him a weak president. That, I fear, is the most we can hope for.