“Lead from the back and let others believe they are in front.” – NELSON MANDELA.
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“America’s comeback starts right now.”
This was the emphatic first sentence former POTUS Donald Trump stated when he officially declared his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections.
(As of this writing, though counting of ballots in the midterm elections continues in some states, the Republicans have seized control of the House having won 218 seats required to take the majority while the Democrats retained control of the Senate with 50 and possibly one more.)
As political pundits in America say Trump looks prominently certain of getting the GOP nomination, Pres. Joe Biden who is close to 80 years old, may or may not be the standard bearer for the incumbent administration.
This is developing even as two missiles hit Poland, reportedly fired from the Russian artillery which is indiscriminately shelling Ukraine’s capital Kiev, including civilian populated areas.
On the surface – although the Polish government has opined that the Russian missiles were not intentional – concerned observers say that the occurrence might take a more serious direction of the Russian-Ukraine conflict because Poland is a NATO member.
As you will now take note, Trump’s “red wave” campaign slogan for the 2022 midterm polls did not materialize but this did not dampen the former Chief Executive from announcing his imminent return to the White House in two years time.
Trump’s followers yelled with glee and gusto when he declared sarcastically that Nancy Pelosi “has been fired.” Republican Minority leader Kevin McCarthy looks set to take over Pelosi’s executive chair as House Speaker. McCarthy walloped his Democratic challenger with a whopping 67.5% of the votes in his California district.
“Our country is being destroyed before your very eyes,” said Trump, accusing the Biden administration of mismanagement and corruption, a statement that Filipinos are not strange to hear.
Whether Trump wins or not, the future political circumstances may bewilder the incumbent PBBM government as it will have to deal with contrasting policies the Democrats and the Republicans exercise towards the Philippines.
Recall that this was the situation (or dilemma) former president Rodrigo Duterte faced as he was confronted by a hostile outgoing Obama administration that was using “human rights” as a cover-up policy to intervene in our purely domestic affairs.
Of course, ex-PRRD did not like this because the Philippines is a sovereign nation and is not a vassal of the United States.
So, when Trump triumphed in 2016 and assumed the presidency in January the following year, the Philippines started to enjoy a much better treatment from her old ally as the ex-president became friends with the new White House occupant.
If my personal understanding of America’s political conditions bears me out, a Trump successful return to power may produce good acceptable results for the Philippines.
His firm conviction and pro Israel-stand in Mid-East affairs has resulted in the forging of peace (dubbed the Abraham Accord) and diplomatic relations with Arab countries that were once hostile to the Zionist state.
Very contrastingly, Trump also stood firm in preventing Iran from achieving nuclear power capability as he pulled the US out of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) entered into by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2015 that lifted the heavy sanctions imposed against Iran.
The white haired ex-POTUS also is not in favor of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian long standing conflict which the Biden administration is pushing forward.
(In fact, the recently ousted Yair Lapid government even declared its favorable agreement to a two-state solution during Lapid’s appearance before the UN General Assembly last September.)
As for the West Philippine Sea issues, Trump has also declared his pro-Philippines stance, emphasizing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty as the basis for the strong and enduring US-Ph relations.
The incoming leadership change in the House of Representatives will spell trouble for Democrat Pres. Biden’s agenda since he needs strong bilateral support from both chambers of Congress to push through the White House development agenda.
From the rumor mill, did I hear right that there is a scheme being hatched for Biden to resign the presidency to give way to the succession of VP Kamala Harris and the appointment of a Vice President who the Democrats are eyeing to become the potential opponent of Trump in the 2024 presidential balloting? Hmmm.
This outsider thinks the Biden administration is in bad shape.
There is no harm in giving Trump another chance at the White House. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
