Thus spake the American electorate!

“You are fired,” roared the majority of angry American voters, and the former reality TV star, who was not even an apprentice when it came to politics, was sent packing. Donald Trump now has the dubious distinction of being the only one-term 21^st century US president. Apart from defacing American politics and society, the most recognisable facet of his sadistic misrule is the fact that he has joined the unenviable group of the most unpopular presidents of the planet’s most vibrant democracy. As a perpetual historical chastisement, he shall forever be bracketed with the likes of James Buchanan (1857-1861), Andrew Johnson (1865-1869), Franklin Pierce (1853-1857), John Tyler (1841-1845), Chester Arthur (1881-1885) and Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)! The greatest take away from the disaster euphemistically referred to as the Trump presidency is that one can become the president of the most powerful country of the world, but can neither behave like Attila the Hun nor turn that country into the Hunnic empire.

Trump is the first president in US polling history to have never received a positive approval rating while occupying the White House! His incendiary politics jolted his own base and allowed opponents to form sturdy coalitions against his divisive reign. Liberals, women, minorities, immigrants and young voters, who had been alarmed by his ominous pandering to white supremacist goons, voted in droves for Joe Biden. In the election held on November 3, 2020, Biden won more votes than any presidential candidate in US history!

Biden, an Irish-Catholic from Pennsylvania, is everything Trump is not: he is polished, decent, suave, empathetic, a deal-maker and a coalition-builder. A politician to the core, he lives in the real world: no alternative universe exists in his mind where fake news, blatant lies, unabashed arrogance, anti-constitutional rhetoric, mainstreaming racial prejudice, science bashing and the use of naked state power against marginalised communities are legitimate policy ploys.

What propelled Trump’s fall from grace? He miserably failed to contain the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic that has so far devoured 244,000 American lives. He preferred economic activity, big business interests and politics over human life and refused to put in place the prescribed preventive measures that could have slowed down the spread of the deadly virus. He had the gall to publicly rebuff the CDC for advocating lockdowns and other precautionary measures. He consistently downplayed the severity of the pandemic, snubbed epidemiologists and openly censured crucial public health procedures. Quite grotesquely, he himself assumed the role of a virologist and recommended the use of disinfectants, UV light and HCQ as potential Covid-19 treatments. Ironically contracting the disease himself later!

His pugnacious response to racial turmoil that enveloped many American cities in the wake of George Floyd’s death also damaged his presidency. It was obvious whose side he was on. He not only refused to condemn violence against African-Americans but also encouraged concerned authorities to use force against those protesting against state brutality. His dislike for immigrants and people of colour was no secret either. He reportedly dubbed African countries “shithole” nations and wondered why the US could not have more immigrants from Norway!

The economic impact of the pandemic also paved the way for his downfall. As the labour force shrank, almost 25 million people lost employment. The federal government suffered a whopping deficit of $3.1 trillion or 15.2% of GDP during FY2020. This was three times in excess of the 2019 deficit. The hospitality industry, energy sector, retail outlets, seafood business and travel industry were badly hit by the virus. As wave after wave of economic disasters pummeled the White House, Trump merrily chose to do absolutely nothing.

In the final analysis, the American electorate and Donald Trump joined hands to defeat Donald Trump. No one else could have done that.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2020.

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