By Jude Atupulazi
Donald Trump has been elected the 47th President of the United States following his victory last Wednesday after losing his seat four years ago to outgoing President, Joe Biden.
Trump’s victory has been described as an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago; sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
His victory in Wisconsin fetched Trump the mandatory 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
It had not been an easy journey for Trump who survived two assassination attempts in the run up to the elections.
According to Associated Press (AP), the victory validated his bare-knuckle approach to politics. ‘He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal – often misogynistic and racist – terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants. The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters – particularly men – in a deeply polarized nation.’
Trump on his return to White House, has vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government and pursuing retribution against his perceived enemies. Speaking to his supporters Wednesday morning, Trump claimed he had won what he described as an unprecedented and powerful mandate.
‘The results cap a historically tumultuous and competitive election season that included two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s Convention. Trump will inherit a range of challenges when he assumes office on January 20, including heightened political polarization and global crises that are testing America’s influence abroad.
‘His win against Harris, the first woman of colour to lead a major party ticket, marks the second time he has defeated a female rival in a general election. Harris, the current Vice President, rose to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden exited the race amid alarm about his advanced age.
Despite an initial surge of energy around her campaign, she struggled during a compressed timeline to convince disillusioned voters that she represented a break from an unpopular administration,’ AP reports.
Trump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. He is the first person convicted of a felony to be elected president and, at 78, is the oldest person elected to the office. His Vice President, 40-year-old Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will become the highest-ranking member of the millennial generation in the U.S. Government.
According to AP, there will be far fewer checks on Trump when he returns to the White House as he has plans to swiftly enact a sweeping agenda that will transform nearly every aspect of American Government.
His GOP critics in Congress have largely been defeated or retired. Federal Courts are now filled with judges he appointed. The U.S. Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-appointed justices, issued a ruling earlier this year, affording presidents broad immunity from prosecution.
Trump’s language and behaviour during the campaign sparked growing warnings from Democrats and some Republicans about shocks to democracy that his return to power would bring.
He repeatedly praised strongman leaders, warned that he would deploy the military to target political opponents he labelled the “enemy from within,” threatened to take action against news organizations for unfavorable coverage and suggested suspending the Constitution, Fides gathered.
But perhaps the defining moment came in July when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed Trump’s ear and killed one of his supporters. His face streaked with blood, Trump stood and raised his fist in the air, shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Weeks later, a second assassination attempt was thwarted after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through the greenery while Trump was playing golf, according to AP.