Hubert Odias, Freelance Writer.

Trump’s 2024 landslide presidential victory was bitter-sweet, even unexpected, considering a litany of legal issues, charges and convictions that are usually labeled red lines to any elected office.  But somehow, he beat the odds and became the 47th US president.

Since 2020, controversies, challenges and scandals have peppered Trump’s political life. It started with his denial of the election result and his claim that the Democrats stole it from him. He then rallied a mob of supporters to that belief and action. 

So an army of his devoted followers, men and women, stormed Capitol Hill to stop Vice-President Mike Pence from certifying Joseph Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.  It was Jan. 6, 2021, a day of violence, death and infamy.

Consequently, Trump was subject to legal ramifications for several alleged wrongdoings. He was subpoenaed to appear in court for issues ranging from insurrection, business dealing and possession of national secrets to irrelevant sexual issues regarding Stormy Daniels and E. Jean Carroll.

The court convicted Trump of 34 counts of felony. His supporters considered his felony conviction in New York and sexual claims by those two women as vindictive and witch-hunt.  Meanwhile, the general public opinion believes that charges of insurrection and possession of national secrets were worth pursuing.  Despite all his political faux pas, Trump persevered and campaigned non-stop.

The 2024 presidential campaign was contentious.  The divergence between Trump and Kamala Harris was palpable. Vice-President Harris was a formidable opponent who eloquently demonstrated her capabilities. She ensured that Trump’s past came back to hunt him.  Harris wasted no time detailing evidence of her leadership experiences and Trump’s ineptitude and unworthiness to be president.  Trump, in turn, fired back with some stern criticism of Harris.  Those exchanges were tit-for-tat attacks that aimed to demonize each other’s opponents. It was nothing but politics.

This kind of toxic politics had divided the country. Trump’s motto, “Make America Great Again,” resonated well with millions of Americans, but some of his former close allies and others viewed him differently. 

For example, his Vice-President, Mike Pence, stated: The American people deserve to know that President Trump asked me to put him over my oath to the Constitution.  Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States. 

Also, William Barr of the DOJ (Dept. of Justice) and John Kelly, Former Chief of Staff under Trump, have echoed a similar disapproval of him.

Despite all the scandals, obstacles and opposition, Trump won the 2024 presidential election. The victory was significant because it evoked presidential immunity, leading to his pardon by the court that charged and prosecuted him. So his awaited sentencing and imprisonment have become things of the past.

Ah!  It appears that destiny had its way in Trump’s political life.  The more they criticized him, the higher his popularity grew; the harder the problem was, the easier the solution. Every misfortune of Trump turned out to be a blessing in disguise, but in this case, the end does not justify the means.

His victory was overwhelming, with all three branches of government being in the hands of his allies. Now, Trump holds all the power he was fighting for. How he will manage it is a one-million-dollar question. It depends on the legacy he wants to hand down. His option is to use that power to make history and become a hero or a villain. Let’s hope he opts for the former, but his arrogance and unpredictability make it challenging to determine his choices. 

Trump’s intention to reshape the US presidency differently from that of his predecessors could be illusory. Making wild promises as a candidate is one thing; fulfilling them as president is another. As everyone keeps high expectations of him, the nation with some uneasy optimism is waiting for brighter days ahead.

Trump had a bumpy journey to the White House, but victory was sweet. With a lousy economy, high inflation and a broken immigration system, America has grievances. Despite the urgency of the current situation in the country today, let’s all hope that Trump reassures every American of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words: ” Nothing to fear but fear itself.”