At the beginning of the year, it’s important to consider what will happen in 11 months. In November 2020 America will decide whether we will continue with four more years of the criminal shenanigans of President Donald Trump or return to normalcy. However, even if Trump loses the presidential election, I doubt he will leave.
Trump has been telegraphing his state of mind for a while. Trump praised the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping was named president for life.
“He’s now president for life, president for life. And he’s great,” said Trump, according to CNN. “And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.”
I’ve confronted Trump supporters over this and they say he’s just riling up the media. But I disagree, if you keep bringing up the same subject, you must have it on your mind.
Additionally, It’s obvious he has no regard for American laws and mores. So the Constitution says the president can only serve two terms. Apparently, that doesn’t matter if Trump doesn’t want it. Trump is following the dictator’s playbook. As I mentioned before, I’ve seen this when I lived in Nigeria and also witnessed it in other African countries. Dictators always show disregard for the law and constitution, they always try to set up their children in a political dynasty and they always try to stay beyond their terms.
And as crazy as that sounds, that’s exactly what’s happening here in America. Trump has contempt for the American constitution. He’s been impeached by the House for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He’s trying to stay beyond his term and he’s also trying to set up his idiot children to succeed him, even though none of them have any political experience. A recent Axios story stated that Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump ranked no. 2 and 4 in a SurveyMonkey poll for GOP 2024 presidential candidates!
The battle is currently between “Princess” Ivanka and dullard son Donald Trump Jr., who seems to think an affinity for gun culture and killing animals is enough to vault him into the White House. Because apparently, that’s all it takes to get elected these days. Forget about knowledge of the legal system, political experience or leadership skills, now all you need is fame and a media presence.
Trump envisions America becoming like North Korea and Syria, where one family has run the country for more than 50 years. By the way, Nigerian dictator Gen. Sanni Abacha tried the same during the 1990s, when he attempted to pass power to his son and tried to make himself president for life.
But the most important point that indicates Trump will attempt to stay beyond his second term is from the person who controls him, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin has been described as Trump’s mentor and even his case officer, according to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. He’s the only person Trump doesn’t criticize and he bends over backward to please Putin. Trump has taken to repeating Russian propaganda and even believes Putin over our intelligence services. More importantly, Trump wants to copy Russia’s style of government with its oligarchic elite and illiberal democracy.
Putin has been in charge of Russia longer than any czar. (He became president in 2000) Russia also has a compromised democracy. They have elections but somehow Putin always manages to win, even though he faces a loud opposition. Putin also managed to extend his reign by having protege Dmitry Medvedev stand in for him, before he returned to power for his third term. During Medvedev’s four-year term Putin still served as prime minister!
Recently Putin said he didn’t think American presidents should be restrained by term limits.
“One thing that could be changed about these (presidential) terms is removing the clause about ‘successive’ (terms). Your humble servant served two terms consecutively, then left his post and had the constitutional right to return to the post of president, because these were not two successive terms,” said Putin, during an annual news conference. “(This clause) troubles some of our political analysts and public figures. Well, maybe it could be removed.”
So there you have it. Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to stay in office and his boss, Putin, is encouraging him that this is a good idea. This is going to happen.
Even worse, his acolytes will egg him on. You can bet that Trump consigliere William Barr will come up with a legal reason to justify the extension of his presidency. Christian In Name Only Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor, has also sanctioned Trump’s brazen lawbreaking. He argued that the Democratic-led impeachment had wasted so much time, Trump should get another term to compensate.
“I’ll be on @seanhannity 2nite @FoxNews at 9pm ET and will explain how @realDonaldTrump will be eligible for a 3rd term due to the illegal attempts by Comey, Dems, and media, et al attempting to oust him as @POTUS so that’s why I was named to head up the 2024 re-election,” said Huckabee in a tweet. (There is no factual basis for this assertion.)
Intelligence expert and author Malcolm Nance often says that the 2020 election has the fate of American democracy at stake. I used to think that was hyperbole, but not anymore.
This story was first published on Medium.