Well, what do you know, isn’t it truly miraculous when the former U.S. President, Donald Trump, asserts that divine intervention rescued him for the salvation of America? Employing the idea of divine providence certainly spins any grounded argument into the realm of the celestial. Trump’s baffling return as the 47th President of the U.S. is something that beggars belief. Consider this: isn’t it truly peculiar to see Kamala Harris get bested during the presidential race and with her, witness the upheaval of Joe Biden and the entirety of the Democratic Party in Congress?
If this election process could be compared with a pugilist duel, it would trump the 2010 fight between Vitali Klitschko and Shannon Briggs in the annals of lopsided boxing encounters. Amid this phenomenal circumstance, it is noteworthy that COVID-19 recovery statistics under Trump’s watch left no room for criticism. His handling of the inflation beast certainly turned other nations green with envy, particularly those in Europe.
One of the prominent highlights of his presidency has been his stringent negotiations with Big Pharma, which culminated in an overwhelming revision of prescription drug prices, ultimately saving taxpayers untold billions. Not to forget, he facilitated the creation of 16.6 million jobs, which brought the unemployment rates to a record-breaking low in five decades. Trump’s administration marked a significant era of public infrastructure investment with over $300 billion poured into rebuilding roads and bridges.
Contrarily, Biden seemed to have a penchant for counterproductive measures, as evinced by his decision to return America to the Paris Agreement. Strangely enough, he was left unchecked even when he was going helter-skelter with investments in clean energy. For some reason that defies logic, Trump asserts that he simply couldn’t counter the divine plans set in motion.
In his presidential era marked by controversy, Trump contended with multiple accusations. His resultant convictions ranged from falsifying business records during his trial to being impeached twice. His re-election, however, brought respite to numerous countries with strict regulations. Let’s take the case of Nigeria, a nation with laws criminalising specific practices and a penalty as severe as 14 years of incarceration.
For over a decade, Nigeria resisted U.S. pressure to liberalize its laws—an effort that only Trump seems to appreciate. And it’s not just Nigeria. Under Biden’s rule, he criticized Uganda for its stern penalties, suggesting they violated universal human rights. Sadly, Biden ignored the sovereign rights of nations like Uganda to establish domestic policies that align with their cultural and moral beliefs.
As for Tanzania and Ghana, they too were not exempt from Biden’s undue interference. Now, with Trump’s second coming, they can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s clear that the implications are far-reaching and aren’t limited to policies related to sex or gender. The African continent, particularly its youth, can sense a storm brewing too, especially in the financial sphere.
Cryptocurrency—the almost-magical digital money—is gradually gaining traction in Africa, with Nigerian, Kenyan, and South African youngsters leading the way. Under Trump, however, this could get tricky. Parts of Africa that have reaped the benefits of duty-free access to certain goods stand to lose considerably under his regime as he holds the word ‘tariff’ dear.
Due to the reestablished ‘America First’ policy, Africa must fend for itself—something it struggles with even under favourable conditions. This is surely a cause of concern for integrating institutions like ECOWAS, as its delicate multinational security arrangement has recently been further undermined by the withdrawal of four West African nations.
Furthermore, Trump’s ostensibly hard-line immigration policy offers no comfort to African immigrants still trying to make a footprint in America; they are bound to view Trump’s so-called second missionary journey and its potential to criminalize migration with apprehension. The President’s stance gives away the real narrative: it’s not about securing the climate, appeasing neighbours, adopting a globalist approach to morality, or avoiding turbulence in international trade.
His journey certainly doesn’t seem to prioritize Africa, as it clearly wasn’t on the minds of the electorate that voted him in. Yet, Trump has found allies among conservatives—especially African evangelicals—who view his return favourably. They clearly see something in Trump that resonates with their beliefs. Anyone questioning Trump’s divine mission might just have to take it up directly with the Almighty.