The recent arrest and mug-shotting of ‘Trumpu’ says it all. That was his fourth arrest for criminal matters ( The first POTUS with such records) in the last 6 months but it was his first police booking photo. The investigation that Fanni Willis, the Georgia prosecutor launched in early 2021 against the red-faced POTUS-45 and his acolytes yielded 41 charges housed in a 98-page document. His co-conspirators include some of his associates who were already ensnarled in several other criminal investigations and or convictions. Trump and Co were charged with knowingly and willfully conspiring to change the electoral outcome in his favour, conspiracy to impersonate a public officer, forgery in the first degree and making, writing and filing false statements and documents, with the most serious being a violation of the RICO act, punishable by up to 20 years under the bar. When all these are decoded, they boil down to the attack on the Capitol on 6/1/21, an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy, fueled by lies targeted at obstructing the bedrock function of the US government… and in effect, engaging in a criminal effort to block the peaceful transfer of Presidential power. Trumpu on the whole faces a record 91(Ninety-one) criminal charges all around falsifying business records, illegal retention of classified documents ( which violates the Espionage Act), sexual assault and defamation and fraud in his family business.
Read also: Donald Trump indicted in election fraud
While Trump arrogantly and brashly waves away all these iron-webs of criminality and scandals, it is noteworthy that almost all his close associates are either behind bars, have been behind bars, or a facing multiple charges and investigations, some of them while Trump was on the throne. These include Chris Collins, his primary endorser( 26 months in jail for security fraud, conspiracy, and false statements); Paul Manafort, Campaign Chairman ( 80 months in prison for financial misdeeds); Rick Gates( Deputy Campaign Chair: 36 months probation, 45 days in jail financial misdeeds); Lt- Gen M Flynn,(First National Security Adviser- lying to FBI); Rudy Guiliana( Legal adviser- investigation for election finance issues) Duncan Hunter( second endorser- misuse of $250000 campaign fund); Sam Patten, (lobbyist, 3 years jail on probation, $5000 fine and 500 hours of community service for illegally funneling foreign moneys into Trump’s inaugural committee); Bob Kraft( personal friend, donated $1m to inaugural committee: misdemeanor charge in Florida, soliciting of prostitution) George Nader( confidant;: child sex trafficking and child pornography); Imaaz Zuberi who donated $900k to Trump’s inaugural committee( illegal foreign straw donation, violating foreign lobbying laws, tax evasion and obstruction of Justice), Michael Cohen, personal attorney, (3 years in prison for false statement to congress); Roger Stone( false statement to congress, obstruction of justice, witness tampering), George Papadopolous, Trump campaign foreign policy adviser; two weeks jail term for lying to investigators,) Lev Parnas & Igor Fruman(circumventing electoral laws). The elementary school adage says show me your friends and I will tell you the kind of person you are and that birds of the same feather flock together. However, St. Trump declares his innocence on the rooftops, saying that all these are political witch-hunting and continues with his campaigns for the next election. Funny enough I know another fellow, who has probably more damaging baggage than St. Trump. But while Trump keeps on dismissing his own with a wave of hand and unparalleled braggadocio the other fellow just pretends as if it does not exist!
Read also: Donald Trump pleads not guilty in classified documents case
Our people say that whatever type of firewood exists in a community should suffice for its people, just as it is said that as you make your bed you shall enjoy it. But this mindset should not hold with the position of the US in the global ecosystem and the effects of what Trump did or failed to do across the world. So how did the US end up with St. Donald nwa Trumpu? Was it that they did not see all these shenanigans hanging around him or that they wanted to have a real man instead of a lily-livered Kenyan like Obama, or that Trump bought over key individuals and institutions- as they have been doing in Nigeria and just did on an industrial scale recently?
How could Americans not see Trump and all he stood( and still stands) for when even the son of man in far Ago-Iwoye saw it without looking at my mystical Pot? In February 2017 I gave my verdict on Trump( Ik Muo, ‘Trumpocracy: A new year, a new America and a new world’, Guardian,9/2/17) and here are some excerpts ‘The fact that Trump won the nomination was bad enough, and that he even went on to win the election despite his queer USP is shocking and indicates that the America that we knew- in terms of culture, values and dispositions- was actually fake. …Clinton, with a most distinguished career in public service; had an unprecedented level of preparation for the job and the compelling experience was defeated by Trump who had a legendary penchant for self-love that borders on narcissism. Obama, a conscientious and intelligent leader who espoused humane values, inspired millions of Americans and successfully fulfilled some of his most significant promises. (Times Editorial, 17/1/17), with impeccable manners, intelligence, and wonderful family values he stood for, (Guardian Life, 15/1/17, pL3) was succeeded by Trump, with an unusual combination of ego, arrant lack of critical experience, a particularly inappropriate temperament, and embarrassing ignorance of the nuances of global diplomacy.
Read also: Donald Trump says he has been indicted on federal charges in documents probe
He has also departed from American traditions in that while Lincoln proclaimed ‘charity for all and with malice toward none’, Trump offers ‘charity for none and malice toward all except Russia’ (Jonathan Alter, The Daily Beast, 1/2/17). The ‘demagogic’ campaigner who executed a ‘hostile takeover’ of Whitehouse had delivered the ‘most dreadful inaugural address’ at the most ‘ominous inauguration day’ in U.S. history that is ‘leading America away from the world’ and marks the ‘end of the American century’. He has appointed his fellow billionaires and his in-law into his government, decided to retain his massive business empire and had acted in such strange ways that three professors of psychiatry requested President Obama to conduct ‘a full medical and neuropsychiatric evaluation’ on Donald Trump’s mental health because they believe he is suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Trump runs an ‘Abnormal Presidency’ and his America only’ declaration has led to the tumbling of stocks and Dollar. We also have a new world in which America, the cornerstone global world and free trade is now under Trump, doing everything to destroy and destabilize the world. As of now, nobody is sure of anything under a president who deliberately disrupts the world (Robbin Wright, New Yorker Magazine, 17/1/17), works with aids who openly disagree with him on Iran, NATO, Russia and Japan, He is at war with NATO, UN, EU the media and in particular, CNN, fellow republicans, immediate past president, and market forces and is also facing revolt from corporate America as exemplified by FORD. He is driven by a transactional mentality to U.S. foreign policy and many of his ideas disparage the principles, institutions, and alliances central to U.S. foreign policy.
Trumpocracy has within a few days created a new America and a new, unstable, uncertain world. Not many expected this turn of events but ‘It is when people are saying how quiet and peaceful it is, that sudden destruction falls on them as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman, and there is no escape. (1 Thessalonians,5:3) Trump has a hatred for others and appeared to have read Haman’s letter advising King Ahasuerus to do away with the Jews (Esther, 3:13 Jerusalem Bible). He is preaching and practising a change, away from empathy, humanity and justice, to an age of hate, disrespect, fear and even impunity!
Read also: Donald Trump indicted over hush money payment to Stormy Daniels
Yes, he is delivering on his campaign promises; promises that freely show MALICE TOWARD ALL. This is what the Americans asked for (is it?) and so they have to live with it. Unfortunately, however, the trouble of America is also troubling the world. Instead of an inclusive, peaceful, healed, unified and transformed world, Trump is working furiously towards a traumatised, divided, and hateful world that is in pieces. The bull is on the rampage and everyone is running for cover. Even the Trumpeteers are terrified. Who or what can stop him? How prepared is the U.S. Constitution and the Judiciary for this strange phenomenon? I am afraid, both for the U.S. and for the world! Meanwhile, I insist that Trump be pressured to undergo that full medical and neuropsychiatric evaluation as advised by U.S. psychiatrists. It will be good to see what the outcome will be
Trump organized a successful state capture in America in that he inundated the White House with people like himself and attempted to turn the system upside down. But as I asked earlier, the US constitutions and institutions have come in to fight for America. Our people say that a person whose name is ‘Highscent’ should not be smelling like a refuse dump; that a person whose name is ROOFus should not be living under a leaking roof. It is also said that when the Headmaster breaks the chalkboard, then the students will go berserk. If America, the author, finisher and wholesale distributor of democracy, (including the variant in the Niger Republic) turns all democratic processes and the rule of law upside down, then democracy is endangered. America is trying to recover from the years of Trumpocracy, Trumpology and Trumpism through the efforts of its sturdy institutions. But my question still remains: Why did they not foresee this scenario, despite their personal, societal and institutional sophistication? Why and how did America descend so low?
Meanwhile, do you notice the similarities between the investigators who nailed Zuma Trump? They are both ladies; Thuli Madonsela(60) FanniWillis-52. Respect for women!
