FORMER United States President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a Manhattan court. The criminal charges pertain to payments made by Trump before the 2016 presidential election to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence. This marks the first time in history that a former president of the United States has been formally charged with a criminal offense. Trump arrived at a courthouse in New York City on Tuesday morning for a historic court hearing. As crowds of protesters gathered outside and a global media frenzy ensued, tight security surrounded the courthouse as the Republican leader walked into the building. The hearing marked a watershed moment for the US criminal and political system, with the potential to upend the 2024 White House race in which Trump is currently the leading Republican nominee.
While it is not clear what happens to the case but its progress and outcome will be watched globally. The case would determine whether Trump would be able to run for president again. And considering the tempestuous nature of his stint in power, the outcome of the case has also implications for the rest of the world. During his presidency, Trump was unpredictable. His America First policy and protectionist measures made the world an unstable place. He withdrew the US from many of its global power engagements in the world, straining even the military alliance like NATO and alienating the European Union, the bulwarks of the world order led by US. Trump had even trashed the multilateral agreements which previous administration had played an instrumental role to rally the world around. One such critical agreement was the Paris Climate accord. Trump unilaterally withdrew from it saying it was unfair to the US. However, more than a withdrawal from the US global engagements and commitments, it was the US abandonment of the human rights discourse that was a source of great concern. Trump’s vicious campaign rhetoric, the anti-Muslim tone and even policies of the US Government under him had detracted from the US moral authority. So much so that the country seemed hardly in a position to lecture other countries on the human rights and democracy.
The current US president Joe Biden, on the other hand, has since largely reversed the course taken by Trump. He has taken a different path on issues ranging from coronavirus and healthcare to the environment, education and more. Under him, the US has rejoined Paris Climate Agreement. And with Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing reallignments in the Gulf, the world has moved on from Trump’s time. But he could still come back. The outcome of the case could decide America’s future politics and also future president. But for now, we can only keep our fingers crossed.
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