Donald Trump became America’s president on the back of a protest vote in the United States. A large number of Americans muted their disillusionment with the political process in Capitol Hill and felt there is need to change and possibly clean up the mess that the political establishment had created over time.
The voters disenchantment with politics and politicians made it easier for them, it would seem to have overlooked their choice of an alternative. Donald Trump is no politician and neither pretended to be one. While he preached the need to change the way Capitol Hill functioned, he didn’t explain clearly how he intended to accomplish his mission. Rather Trump Trumpeted his determination to rid Washington of its old ways of conducting the business of government and governance.
Donald Trump characteristically was a showman with brash tendencies. In the conduct of his administration President Trump often presented himself unpresidential. However, where Trump erred was his gradual demystification of the office of the president of the United States. Many Americans were worried and this signalled the emergence of a major divide within the country.
Around the world the American myth and influence gradually began to erode. President Trump also in the course of his tenure created a strong division in the country leading to what could be termed “low level civil war” pitting one side against the other and the monstrous rise of intolerance and racism gaining unnecessary momentum. The fear of America descending into a possible conflict led to the election of Joe Biden in 2020.
Trump’s attempt at a second term drove the American establishment into overdrive with the media working closely with it to stop Trump who to them is a usurper and certainly not a politician.
The election of Biden was a close shave. Donald Trump and his supporters were not happy with the outcome of the presidential election. Rather than accept the verdict, Trump said the election had been rigged and ultimately encouraged through subtly an attempt to take over congress. Trump’s political adversaries said this was an insurrection and thought he had overplayed his hands, politically.
The political elite on Capitol Hill felt strongly that Trump had to be stopped and would go all the way to ensure that. Their last trump card for Trump, was the former president’s relationship with Stormy Daniels a controversial porn star. The fact that Donald Trump had an extramarital affair, though morally questionable wasn’t the main issue, but rather the fact that he tried to bury it by paying off the woman. This was considered the height of a lack of integrity on the former president’s part.
Trump’s determination for a second shot at the presidency resurrected the hush money saga. Donald Trump was led through America’s criminal justice system, arraigned before a court and after a period of hearings, a jury found him guilty. Former President Trump had the tag of a felon pinned on him.
America may have shown the world that it is a society which believes in the adherence to the rule of law and has proven that all its citizens are subject to the law irrespective of their status, the political undertone of the whole exercise cannot be de-emphasised.
Donald Trump’s affairs and sexual misbehaviours has been in the public domain for years before his first attempt at running for the presidency in America. Donald Trump before his election was perceived as just a colourful businessman with a larger than life personality. In fact, the political establishment didn’t see him as a threat then. What the guys on Capitol Hill probably didn’t take conversant of was Trump’s constant appeal to majority of voters that a change was needed with the way politics is conducted in America.
Donald Trump’s conviction has predictably spurned a reaction, but an unexpected one with him raising over 52 million dollars in campaign donations. This act is not of a people who loath the man, despite his personality. What is clearly at play here is the public saying that there is a difference between Trump the individual and his politics. Many Americans still believe strongly that majority of politicians don’t take their interests into consideration and that must change.
On his part, Donald Trump is of the opinion that it wouldn’t be wise for the judge to send him to prison as this would be frowned upon by the American people. His continuous appeal to the conscience of many Americans, while pitting his political opponents against them makes the Trump phenomenon a recurring theme in the country’s current political climate. How this ends, will however depend on the final result of the presidential elections in November.
Olugbenga Adebanjo
(C) Copyright, 2024
IG:@adebanjo1
Ojuriblog 