Unable to withstand his rhetoric, resilience, indomitable political drive, and dominance, they tried to kill him—twice. Twice they failed. After God saved him from an assassin’s bullet in one of these failed attempts, he returned to the venue where his would-be killer had plotted against him and fearlessly continued his campaign. They mocked him. They slapped him. They levelled trumped-up charges and secured convictions against him, but he overcame them. They paraded him and presented him before the powers of this world with the inscription, “We don’t want this man to return as our leader,” yet he mesmerised them. They hurled unprintable insults to dampen his spirit, but he remained unshaken. Contrary to popular predictions and sentiments, he triumphed over the media-hyped Kamala Harris. In fact, he outperformed her in most American counties and communities, evidence that his popularity spans the broad spectrum of American society—white, non-white, Latino, college-educated, young adults, Black Americans, and even women all voted for him.
The rejected stone has become the cornerstone. It is difficult for the world to understand the ways of God. Look: God can write with the leg of a table. As seen in the lives of Moses, David, Saul (Paul), and others, God often chooses unlikely instruments to carry out mighty works. Trump may not have the most likeable character. Like all mortals, his flaws are visible. He is brash, uncouth, arrogant, and unrefined. He insults people freely. And so what? Name one person without human defects—there is none. Trump, too, has his imperfections. But despite them, he is the instrument God is using to return America to its founding values, the path inscribed on the American dollar and coin: “In God We Trust.” A student of American history will know that this country was built on strong moral principles.
America is not the caricature often portrayed by CNN, BBC, and other left-leaning media. In my travels across different American states, I have always been struck by the high level of moral and family values cherished by the American people. In contrast, leftist liberal media misleads undiscerning viewers and readers, painting America as a land of immorality, LGBTQ issues, wokism, and a post-Christian or post-truth culture.
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You may be aware that in the beginning, concepts like LGBT rights, abortion, transgenderism, and gender theory—promised by Kamala Harris to Americans—were virtually unknown in the United States. Under common law, marriage was recognised as a contract between a man and a woman. In fact, at the dawn of the American Revolution, this concept was adopted and became part of American law. Several states later enacted laws prohibiting sodomy, with penalties including long sentences and steep fines. At the dawn of the 19th century and even into the early 20th century, many states in the United States imposed laws against what was deemed deviant sexual behaviour, including homosexuality. For instance, in 1970, Connecticut authorities denied a driver’s license to a man who identified as homosexual.
However, the first organised homosexual rights movement in the United States emerged in the 1950s, seeking to change criminal laws to benefit homosexuals. The sexual revolution of the 1960s gave momentum to the American gay rights movement. Inspired by the American Law Institute’s Penal Code campaigns in the 1960s, some homosexuals began advocating for what they saw as their right to privacy and the freedom to engage in homosexual acts. The first Supreme Court decision to recognise the so-called right to privacy was Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). Later, in Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Supreme Court—despite dissents from Justice Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, and Justice Clarence Thomas—overruled Bowers v. Hardwick and held that consensual sexual conduct, including homosexuality, was part of the liberty protected by substantive due process under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Nonetheless, subsequent federal and state laws have varied in response, with some endorsing traditional marriage between a man and a woman.
If you still doubt this perspective, re-read the words of the American Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” Reflect on the works of America’s founding fathers, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. You may come to understand that America was founded on strong moral principles. Unfortunately, Barack Obama, some argue, attempted to dismantle these principles. For example, Obama made LGBT rights a centrepiece of American foreign policy. On May 28, 2010, in an unprecedented Presidential Proclamation, he declared June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, calling on Americans to combat prejudice and discrimination. As U.S. President, Obama directed that male and female students in schools should be allowed to shower together, and he legalised same-sex relationships among American soldiers. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights even ordered an all-female school to allow a male student who identified as female to shower with female students. However, the Trump-Pence administration revoked this policy, arguing that Title IX protections covered biological sex, not gender identity. On his first day in office, President Biden reinstated the Obama-era policy.
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Furthermore, Biden appointed Ambassador Samantha Power, a prominent LGBTQI+ advocate, to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with a focus on promoting LGBT rights and abortion in African countries, including Nigeria. Biden also warned that countries like Nigeria must legalise LGBTQI+ rights or risk U.S. financial sanctions, visa restrictions, and loss of U.S. diplomatic and financial assistance.
Had our accomplished sister Kamala won the presidential election, she would likely have followed Biden’s legacy. But, unfortunately for her, discerning American voters gave her a well-deserved red card. Many Nigerians who applaud Obama and Kamala may be swayed by their shared Black heritage, forgetting that beneath the surface lies a betrayal of cherished African values. For instance, throughout his time as U.S. President, Obama never visited Nigeria. Why? Because of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-gay law. Obama vowed that as long as that law remained, he would not set foot on Nigerian soil, even expressing his intent to weaken Jonathan’s government over it. Similarly, Kamala does not speak well of black people. (And you know she is not Black American; she has Indian heritage.) Kamala has travelled widely, but she has never deemed it fit to visit Nigeria. So why the hype around Kamala in Nigeria?
Trump’s decisive victory over Kamala resembles President Harry Truman’s upset over Governor E. Dewey in 1948. Before Truman’s re-election, few believed he could win. Public opinion and media hype projected Dewey as the winner. For example, the Chicago Tribune was so confident in a Dewey victory that it published the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman” before all votes were counted. Yet, once the votes were tallied, underdog Truman won re-election. A similar phenomenon played out in last November’s election, with Trump, the underdog, emerging victorious. His second term underscores that, despite the rise of liberalism, libertinism, and “wokeism,” the American people have not abandoned their core values, and in certain circumstances, they reassert their commitment to the principles established by the Founding Fathers.
As Trump returns to the White House in January 2025, eight years after his first term, the key questions are: What will a second Trump presidency entail? What is at stake in the Middle East under his leadership? What does Trump’s victory mean for Ukraine, the Middle East, China, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Trump has promised to end “wars.” He specifically pledged to resolve the Ukraine conflict and bring lasting peace to the tumultuous Middle East. Despite scepticism from some Palestinians, Trump may intervene in the Middle East to stop the conflicts there and in Gaza. He has already warned Hamas to release American hostages in their custody before his inauguration, threatening consequences if they do not comply. This is Trump: loud, blunt, and unfiltered. He is a “trumpeting trumpeter,” unafraid to challenge political correctness and direct in his words.
In my view, Trump’s priority in his first 100 days should be the restoration of America’s founding principles—the truth claims, practical wisdom, and constitutional insights that underpin American democracy. Given America’s influence, these principles also serve as pillars for democracies worldwide. During his campaigns in both 2016 and 2024, Trump adopted Ronald Reagan’s slogan, “Make America Great Again.” But if Trump truly wants to achieve this, if he is dedicated to restoring America’s foundational truths and fostering a global order where justice, service, peace, respect for human dignity, and mutual understanding prevail, he must work diligently to restore the universally acknowledged values that were eroded during the Obama and Biden administrations.
On the global scale, Trump should establish a new international order where peace, justice, service, respect for human dignity, the intrinsic worth of each individual, and mutual understanding can thrive. A world ruled by terrorism, armed conflict, suicide bombings, bloodshed, wars, and rumours of wars is no life at all.
Finally, what will be the thrust of Trump’s African policies? How will Nigeria fare under a potential second Trump presidency? Trump should help Nigeria resist the negative influence of certain U.S. and United Nations agencies, as well as NGOs operating in the country. Some of these agencies and NGOs, in collaboration with certain Nigerians and the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja, are promoting programs that harm the character of Nigeria’s youth. A few years ago, Nigerian media widely reported that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in partnership with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc. and others, introduced in Nigeria and other African countries a one-dollar injectable contraceptive called Sayana Press. The target was secondary school girls, who could privately inject themselves with Sayana Press and face potential sterilization. Influenced by certain U.S. NGOs and agencies, harmful Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) topics have been subtly incorporated into Social Science and other subjects taught in Nigerian public secondary schools. These topics aim to teach students about masturbation, sterilisation, breast enlargement, penis enlargement, condom usage, abortion, and other sensitive subjects.
But with the return of Trump to power, we hope that the aforesaid evils will be averted. Many are unaware that the Trump administration (2017-2021) opposed CSE and sexual education initiatives that included discussions on LGBTQ+ issues, sexual rights, and reproductive health (including abortion), particularly in Nigeria and other African countries. This stance was part of broader policies and funding restrictions impacting global health initiatives during Trump’s presidency. For example, the Trump administration expanded the ‘Mexico City Policy’ (also known as the ‘global gag rule’), which restricted foreign NGOs from using U.S. funds if they provided or promoted abortion-related services. These restrictions affected organisations that might have included CSE as part of their broader health and education efforts. Trump’s policies redirected U.S. foreign aid priorities away from population control and the sterilisation of African girls. Instead, his foreign aid approach emphasised family values, which align more closely with African cultural heritage.
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