Trump’s stunning landslide, legal effects

On the night of Election Day, Nov. 5 in America, the political comeback of “fascist” and convicted felon Donald Trump was assured when the votes in battleground Pennsylvania (Penn, with 19 electoral votes) showed an irreversible trend for him. And even more startling, the six other “battleground or swing states,” Arizona (with 11 electoral votes), Georgia (16), Nevada (6), North Carolina (16), Michigan (15), and Wisconsin (10) also favored Trump.

TO ADD TO THE STARTLE, he won the national count with a comfortable majority of over five million, shamming all pre-election polls and political pundits—which, and who—confidently predicted a razor-edge race. And as the coup de grace, the Republican Party won control of both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, thereby assuring him of legislative support for his America First policies as well as his personal agenda to chase “the enemy within” and to call on the national guards and the military “to neutralize them.”

(As for me, I miserably lost a bet of P50,000 to be donated to a charity that the winner would designate. I also lost in my own estimation that based on the polls and pundits, I prognosticated at least 2.1 days before the winner could be known.)

The “misogynist” triumphed over two women democrats—Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024, but lost to gentleman Joe Biden in 2020 though he never conceded his defeat to the latter. Both ladies immediately conceded notwithstanding that Hillary won the national vote (but lost Penn, the election barometer). The defeat of the two highly qualified ladies raises the question of whether the US is ready for a woman president, a blessing that had rained on the Philippines twice (Cory Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), and in many other democracies like India (Indira Gandhi), Pakistan (Benazir Bhutto), United Kingdom (Margaret Thatcher), etc.

AFTER KNOWING TRUMP WON IN THE MEDIA PROJECTIONS, Biden gamely called to congratulate him and to welcome his transition team to the White House, a political tradition that Trump, as the then losing incumbent refused to observe in 2020. Instead, he called on his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) cohorts to storm the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to prevent the US Congress from performing its duty to proclaim Biden as the winner. Trump even dammed then vice president Mike Pence (who, under the US Constitution, is the presiding officer of the US Senate) for refusing his plea to stop the Biden proclamation.

The “consuelo de bobo” or “fools’ consolation” for the Democrats is that Trump’s triumph did not result in post-election mayhem that the volatile former president promised should he lose the exercise. “The election will turn out only in two ways—I will surely win or will be cheated. If I am cheated, mayhem will engulf the country,” (or words to that effect), so mainstream media quoted him many times.

ON THE LEGAL FRONT, the justices of the US Supreme Court can rest easy without any risk of being impeached or censured as both congressional chambers were snagged by the Republicans. Some of the magistrates disclosed enormous gifts, paid vacations with private yachts, and private planes in exclusive hotels, hobnobbing with the rich and famous in private clubs courtesy of their mega rich friends. One acknowledged being given a paid vacation in Bali and in a private club in Monte Rio, California. Another flew an upside-down American flag in his two homes, symbolic of sympathy for Trump. (For details, see my June 16 column, “From awe to dismay at the Scotus.”)

And yet, none of the justices had the “delicadeza” (decency) to recuse on the cases affecting Trump, especially on the grant of almost complete immunity for all his public acts as president in 2017-2021. During the campaign, Trump angrily said that he would fire Jack Smith who filed cases against him arising from his criminal acts in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Now, Smith is reported to be hassling ways to deal with the pending cases he filed against Trump within the next two months before the latter assumes office and fires him.

Worth watching are the 34 convictions adjudged by a jury in New York City in connection with false statements he made to hide his payments to keep Stormy Daniels quiet about their sexual adventures. He is due for sentencing on Nov. 26. Will the judge dare punish the convicted felon with multiple imprisonment? Or will he take the cowardly way by saying it is pointless to sentence him to 34 jail terms since he could not be incarcerated as incumbent president. Indeed, his cases will test judicial integrity and independence in America again and again.

Finally, Trump promised to pardon all his cohorts who are serving jail terms for their criminal roles in that Jan. 6, 2021 riot. In fact, if finally convicted of the numerous criminal cases against him, he would pardon himself! Incredible. Only in the US of A!

I cannot believe these unimaginable judicial malfeasances can happen, as they are happening and will continue to happen, in Donald Trump’s “land of the free and the home of the brave.” I am totally discombobulated.

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