BY VICTORIA N. IKEANO

One did not have any difficulty as often happens, choosing a

topic for this week. It has to be the trending issue of the 45^th
president of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump; a man that is now
quitting the grandeur of the White House from which pedestal he spinned off his
theatrics, spurned ethical norms in the last four years. To say that he confounded
the world and held others in his spell is no exaggeration. But this is not the
first time that our world is witnessing such a character and may not be the
last… Thus, though I had no second thoughts about
what to write on this week, one had some difficulty choosing a title for it. I
first thought of this, ‘Trump: The modern-day Hitler’. But then I reminded
myself that Hitler happened in this generation, there are victims of his weird
policies that are still alive, albeit very few.
Although we experienced Hitler when our world was in analogue mode unlike
today’s digital era, it is still relatively, a few years ago in the world’s
reckoning. Moreover, I considered that
Trump did not send thousands of people to gas chambers, to die in a horrifying
way; still, the 45^th president nursed no less weird ideas and
appears as heartless, stone hearted and soulless as Adolf Hitler.

That is a common characteristic of these set of persons who
spring up once in a blue moon, hither and thither to torment the world. Or, how
do you explain that with nearly 400,000 Americans killed by the corona virus pandemic and over 20 million
others infected with this dreaded disease, President Trump did not for once
send any word of condolence to bereaved
families nor console those in hospitals with any words of empathy. I guess he
considers doing so as a kind of weakness. What about his publicly shaming
disabled persons, defiling the memory of the war dead or pouring insults, invectives
on his opponents/enemies as well as churning out propaganda at will with his
second companion that is, a handset logged to social media from where he tweets 24/7, lies that are
innocently believed by millions of his supporters. Propaganda was one of
Hitler’s chief weapons that sustained him while he lasted. In the case of
Trump, today’s more advanced technological tool of handsets with its
concomitant democratization of communication via social media, amplified the
speed and reach of his propaganda cum conspiracy theories/lies. A lie told many
times may begin to sound like truth to even the ears of neutrals, etc., such
that they start to fall for it. It is telling that in the last 12 days since
his personal social media accounts were banned, thus preventing him from
repeating or fabricating more lies via twitter President Trump has more or less
become almost pliant, like a person who denied food for days, is now weak.

Like Hitler, the president with his own very mouth triggered
a single act that brought him down, sending him falling in a free flow,
tumbling over hundreds others in the process while inflicting painful injuries
on them to wit. And the consequences of this one act reverberated throughout the
world. I once noted in a piece that the
45^th was “suffusing himself in intellectual conceit, regaling in
narcissistic self glorification that sees himself as a revered cult leader”. In same vein I opined that by not condemning
one of his ally’s call to behead staff that are disloyal to him, the president,
Trump and his supporters were spewing foul darts that were crossing dangerous
line. Then on January 6, 2021 President Trump and his allies not only crossed the dangerous line but jumped into unchartered
territory as thousands of his supporters who had apparently listened to his
rallying cry, swarmed unto Capitol Hill in an unprecedented breech, desecrating
its chambers, the symbol of
America’s over 200-year-old democracy.
The world watched in amazement, wondering whether the chaotic scenes unfolding
before their gaze in real time was truly happening in the US or some other back
water, failed African or Latin America underdeveloped country. Like a
stone hurled into a market place, it backfired with unforeseen consequences for
Trump, his family and allies.

For one, it dented
his image and overshadowed whatever achievements he had recorded during his
tenure. In truth President Trump performed creditably domestically during his
first three years in office as the economy was soaring. Indeed, you would at
that time be forgiven to think that he was God-sent. But his brashness,
contempt for his fellow human beings that are creatures of the Almighty like
himself, his penchant for being economical with the truth, etc., traits that
are antithetical to anyone wishing to walk in the light of God was his
albatross. Enter Covid-19 and literally
overnight, Trump’s gains over the past three years were wiped off. The pandemic
became the main campaign issue… One had thought that Trump would be humbled
upon catching the disease and being hospitalized for some three days. However, after being discharged, the president
rather than thank the Lord for sparing his life, boasted that he conquered the
disease, giving a macho pose. It led me to ask rhetorically, ‘what will humble
Trump?’ Perhaps the dire consequences of
this last prompted act of his for which he has been impeached a second time by
the Congress and which is now variously described as an insurrection, failed
coup, and domestic terrorism, would humble him because many organizations are
now cutting ties with him, his family and institutions linked to him. His name
is being removed from some public buildings and parks, his children’s former
places of abode are turning their backs on them leading to their relocating elsewhere
as they leave Washington D.C., global organizers of his beloved sport, golf,
have cancelled the hosting right for an international golf tournament at his
golf course, his allies, staff and cabinet members that associated with him
during the saga are being denied job by potential employers and identified
supporters of his that partook in the Capitol Hill riot are being sacked from
their jobs. He even faces prospect of prosecution for some criminal offenses as
he loses his immunity. Things seem to be crumbling for him. Overall, Trump cuts
a rather pitiful image right now. His is a case of missed opportunity, misused
opportunity of being president of about the
most powerful country in the world
in terms of military and economic power, the United States of America
(USA).