The US electorate voted overwhelmingly for a convicted felon, the first US president to so be convicted. What’s worse, he is convicted of trying to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Not quite a storm for Americans, it seems.
Like in many dictatorships, the electorate enthusiastically voted for a president who does not believe in press freedom and casually calls members of the media the “fake” tribe. He has said he doesn’t mind if someone had to “shoot through the fake news” while attempting to assassinate him.
President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on November 26 where he faces a possible four-year jail term. His lawyers have already indicated they would appeal to the court to delay the sentencing of the president-elect, something hitherto unseen in the US.
Trump had also said he would fire — “within two seconds” of being sworn in — US prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the prosecution of the Republican leader for his failed bid to overturn his election defeat four years ago and his retention of classified documents long after he left the White House.
While Trump’s election will surely help him escape some charges, it’s not clear if all his legal woes — and there are several — will disappear as a result of his election. Trump has also threatened to appoint a special prosecutor to probe outgoing president Joe Biden without specifying why.
That Trump is a curious choice for a nation that prides itself on respect for the rule of law, a nation that pontificates about the importance of democratic values such as accountability, openness and justice, is clear. Why the Americans, in fact, elected him beggars belief. In the end, though, we all deserve the leaders — and pretenders — we elect. America has made its bed, it is time to lie on it.
But Trump’s election is not a mere local curiosity for Americans, it carries huge implications across the globe. America is, after all, the biggest economy in the world, and the biggest spender by a stretch on defence and security.
Trump has already told the world that should he be elected, the war between Ukraine and Russia could end within 24 hours. Again, the details about how this could be achieved are thin, but he has intimated that Ukraine should contemplate ceding some of its geographic territories to Russia if this helped to secure a peace deal — something Ukraine has rejected. The question is if America pulled its support — but also drastically reduced its funding of Nato, something Trump had threatened to do — what options would Ukraine still have?
Trump’s support of Israel is without question. On the surface, this means the people of Palestine must expect the bombardment to continue, more so after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire defence minister Yoav Gallant who had suggested a deal with Hamas that could lead to the return of Israeli hostages.
But could South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice against Israel further muddy diplomatic relations between the Trump administration and the government of national unity? Further, is the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), the US trade law which allows duty-free access to American markets for selected products which is set for renewal next year, potentially in harm’s way given developments in the White House?
Much, we believe, will turn on whether those within the GNU will speak to US senators with one voice on Agoa. Given that the DA has already supported trade and industry minister Parks Tau’s Washington appeals for the continued inclusion of the country in Agoa, it will be surprising if the Trump administration excludes South Africa. Our exclusion would have dire consequences on the economy and jobs. The case against Israel is already before the ICJ. A sudden withdrawal by South Africa is unlikely.
Though much of Trump’s rhetoric leans on racist, sexist, anti-immigrant and antitrade politics, some argue that his win might not necessarily be detrimental to South Africa-US relations.
The spokesperson for the department of international relations and co-operation, Clayson Monyela, has entered the conversation claiming Trump’s victory is not necessarily anathema to South Africa’s interests. “I beg to differ. Historically relations between [South Africa] and [America] thrive under a Republican White House,” he said. He lists Agoa and the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), both initially signed by Republican leaders.
The question is whether Trump is the embodiment of a typical Republican leader — or an outlier. In 2013, Trump tweeted about the Jacob Zuma administration: “I really like Nelson Mandela but South Africa is a crime-ridden mess that is just waiting to explode — not a good situation for the people!” He followed this with this tweet two years later: “As I have long been saying, South Africa is a total — and very dangerous — mess. Just watch the evening news (when not talking weather?)”
Interestingly, he relies on news — even when he calls it fake — when it suits him. But his remarks are helpful only to the extent they give us a hint on what happens inside the head of the leader who has called Africa and Haiti “sh*thole countries” from which America should not be accessing rare skills.
As the convicted felon takes the helm at the White House in the weeks ahead, America has lost its right to preach about political morality. When it faced its stern test, it shunned a worthy woman leader in Kamala Harris who, far from committing crimes, had dedicated her life to prosecuting criminals like Trump. The voters instead chose a bully, a racist, a criminal to be the most powerful politician in the world.
Quo Vadis democracy?
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