Despite All Odds, Former President Trump Wins the U.S. Election!

Omar Sindi | Exclusive to iKurd.net

Election!

President-elect Trump’s persona and political platform continue to perplex the American people and the global political landscape. As U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill notably said, “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all other possibilities.”

Is Churchill’s quotation relevant to Trump’s presidency, especially at a time when liberal democracy is under siege from autocracies? It is too soon to predict his accomplishments, but time will tell what trajectory his rule will take.

Historically, United States candidates for office have been expected to demonstrate strong character and a clean legal history. These factors have typically played a crucial role in earning voters’ trust. However, this standard appears to have been disregarded with Trump.

The President-elect faces over 90 legal issues, including being impeached twice by Congress and possessing classified government documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after leaving office in 2021. Many of his surrogates also face legal troubles. For example, many of the individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots have served jail time.

Former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, was accused of defamation for falsely accusing two Georgia election workers of voter fraud, resulting in a court order for him to pay over $100 million. In July 2018, Trump even sided with Russia against the FBI at the Helsinki Summit.

In spite of all this, Trump’s public support remains high, and his political base has remained loyal.

Trump’s ability to stay politically relevant despite these controversies is often attributed to his anti-establishment stance. In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump explicitly stated that he would only act as a dictator on day one, further emphasizing his populist rhetoric. Legal experts have pointed out that if Trump had not been re-elected, his legal issues might have led to serious consequences, including possible jail time.

However, the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice has stated that prosecuting a sitting president could undermine the executive branch’s functioning. As a result, President-elect Trump’s legal troubles might not affect his presidency, although his cases in states like New York and Georgia could persist for years, potentially leading to retrials. Nonetheless, several legal experts argue that there is no narrative in the U.S. Constitution supporting the idea that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted for illegal activity.

The January 6 attack on the United States Capitol seemed to signal Trump’s political downfall. Many political observers predicted his career was over, especially after the violent attempt to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. However, President Trump remained defiant, characterizing the attack as political persecution and criticizing the Democratic Party as far-left and socialist.

He consistently reiterated that the 2020 election was rigged, despite offering no evidence to support this claim. His supporters, especially among the far-right, continued to rally around him, showing no sign of abandoning him. However, many high-ranking Republican Party members criticized his supporters for attacking Congress during the certification of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States.

President-elect Trump’s legal battles and the media’s portrayal of his misconduct have done little to diminish his popularity. His supporters, many of whom are skeptical of the liberal media, reject the narratives surrounding his legal troubles. They believe the media is fabricating false news against him. Most “business oligarchs” supported President-elect Trump.

Three Trump supporters personally told this writer that liberal media outlets are fabricating false news about President Trump. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Justice under Attorney General Merrick Garland has been unable to successfully prosecute Trump on his legal issues.

One significant issue that helped fuel Trump’s rise was the handling of illegal immigration. The Biden administration’s choice of Alejandro Mayorkas to head the Department of Homeland Security has been widely criticized. Mayorkas’ approach to border control led to an increase in illegal migrant crossings, which negatively impacted Biden’s approval ratings.

Republican strategists capitalized on this issue by pointing to the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border, with far-right media outlets constantly reporting on the situation. As a result, Biden’s approval ratings plummeted, and some members of Congress even called for Mayorkas’ impeachment for “dereliction of duty.”

In spite of efforts to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States economy remained resilient. Many economic forecasters had predicted a recession, or a “soft landing recession,” but this never materialized.

US Congress. Photo: Creative Commons/wikipedia

President Biden managed to pass a notable infrastructure bill in Congress that boosted the economy, created manufacturing jobs, and reduced unemployment. However, the Democratic Party failed to effectively communicate these successes to the public. President-elect Trump capitalized on this, focusing his attacks on the failures of the Biden administration’s economic and foreign policies, as well as its stance on immigration.

Biden’s foreign policy was also a point of contention. Critics of Trump’s “America First” stance argued that it would lead to a decline in the U.S.’s influence on the global stage. However, Biden’s failure to advocate for the importance of U.S. leadership, especially regarding NATO and international trade, left the door open for other nations, such as China, to step in.

Biden’s policies toward Ukraine, particularly the war effort, were unpopular with many Americans. The Biden administration needed better political discourse to explain to the public why supporting Ukraine was essential for U.S. interests and global stability.

In contrast to Trump’s rhetoric, the Democratic Party seems to believe that the country’s growing diversity will ultimately benefit them in the long run. While Trump has been accused of stoking division, his support among Latino and Black voters increased in the 2024 election, suggesting that his populist appeal resonates across racial lines.

In previous elections, candidates like Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris struggled to connect with voters, and this trend continued in 2024. Despite the Democratic Party’s emphasis on diversity, the U.S. may not yet be ready for a female president. Harris, in particular, failed to present a clear break from Biden’s policies, and voters appeared dissatisfied with the status quo.

The choice of vice president is critical, especially in swing states like Pennsylvania and Arizona. While both states voted for Biden in 2020, Trump won them in 2024, signaling that the U.S. may not be ready for a female president or for the continuation of Biden’s policies. If the Democratic Party had chosen a more conservative, male candidate with different economic policies, the outcome might have been different.

World leaders are understandably concerned about what President-elect Trump’s foreign policy will mean for global stability. Trump’s “America First” attitude, characterized by withdrawal from international agreements and institutions, raises questions about U.S. collaboration in addressing global challenges, such as climate change, human rights, minority rights, and security issues.

For Kurdish leaders, particularly in Iraq and Syria, the uncertainty surrounding U.S. policy is critical. Kurdish aspirations for self-determination and greater autonomy in the region could be affected by America’s repositioned foreign policy.

The Middle East faces a pivotal moment as political structures in Syria and Iraq continue to evolve. Kurdish leaders, who played a significant role in defeating ISIS, will closely watch how the Trump administration engages with these complex geopolitical issues.

Kurds rally in Germany's Cologne calling for Ocalan's freedom — Kurds rally in Germany’s Cologne calling for Ocalan’s freedom, February 17, 2024. Photo: Firat News Agency ANF

No one should be jailed for their political beliefs, including Abdullah Öcalan, the de facto leader of the PKK. However, many political leaders in Rojava Kurdistan or Northern Kurdistan anticipate that Mr. Öcalan has solutions for everything, from societal ills to governance. While Öcalan’s concept of “Democratic Socialism” has its proponents, this ideology predates his time and is not unique to his leadership.

President-elect Donald Trump’s second presidency promises to be an unpredictable period, both domestically and internationally. The policies he implements could reshape the future of the U.S. and the world, but only time will tell whether his approach will succeed in managing the challenges America faces.

As Otto von Bismarck once said, “God has a special providence for fools, drunkards, and the United States.” Whether this quote holds true for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term remains to be seen, but his journey to the presidency has been nothing short of remarkable.

Trump’s political rise, despite all odds, will undoubtedly be a subject of much analysis for years to come. As Mark Twain once remarked, “Politics is the only profession where you lie, cheat, and steal, and still be respected.”

Only time will tell whether the comments by Bismarck and Churchill will become relevant to America’s trajectory amid its current political polarization.

Omar Sindi, a senior writer, analyst and columnist for iKurd.net, Washington, United States.

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of iKurd.net or its editors.