Saturday night’s programme on Askani Gambia (AG Radio) featured an engaging discussion, during which I was invited to address and analyze last Friday’s sentencing of Donald Trump regarding the hush money trial and 35 counts of falsifying business records.
Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, continues to break records in US and Western politics. Judge Juan Merchan, a Colombian immigrant who moved to the United States at the age of six, issued an unconditional discharge. While Trump avoided both jail time and financial penalties, his legal team intends to appeal the charges to the Supreme Court, a process likely to take considerable time.
A critical question remains: will Trump, as a former US president, face restrictions on international travel? Notably, individuals with criminal records can be denied entry to countries such as Canada, where George W. Bush was previously barred due to a drunk-driving conviction. This raises the possibility that Trump could face similar barriers, including exclusion from this year’s G7 summit in Canada.
Trump’s supporters continue to propagate the narrative that he is a victim of a “deep state” conspiracy aimed at destroying his life. This perspective, largely fueled by Trump himself, is deeply polarizing and undermines democratic principles. With over 88 criminal charges pending and countless hours spent in courtrooms, Trump’s legal troubles are unprecedented.
During his second term, set to begin in just over a week, Trump is expected to implement sweeping changes to the US political landscape. Reports suggest he has recruited a significant number of loyalists to replace existing civil servants, a move likely to have profound implications for the nation. These changes will not only reshape the United States but may also have global repercussions, particularly for African economies that rely on the US dollar as a reserve currency.
The concept of the “deep state,” a complex system influencing global politics through covert operations, has long shaped international relations. This shadow system operates independently of presidential authority, with a history of interventions, particularly in third-world countries, including Africa. As the US shifts its focus to China as a strategic rival, there is growing concern about the propaganda fueling this new geopolitical tension.
According to credible sources, plans for a potential conflict with China are already in motion a scenario that poses an existential threat to humanity, given the nuclear capabilities of both nations. It is crucial that cooler heads prevail, and one can only hope that Trump’s leadership, despite its controversies, will act as a buffer against such catastrophic ambitions.
This unfolding situation demands vigilance, as its implications extend far beyond the US and into the heart of global stability.
