Why Trump could be refusing to leave

With his presidential immunity against arrest and trial expiring on January 20, 2021, outgoing US President Donald Trump could be trading his fears of conviction for rejecting the election results.

For many years, Trump has projected himself as a leftist victimised by Democrats in power and openly giving responses that do not add up to journalists whenever faced with questions over such topics.

Recent allegations indicate that the eccentric president has secret bank accounts in China, despite having linked his erstwhile rival, President-elect Joe Biden, to the Asian country more than himself.

As it stands, China remains one of the few countries — and probably the only major power — that has not congratulated President-elect Biden, giving rise to questions as to what their exact interest in the just-concluded US elections is.

Trump is a successful businessman, besides clinching the top office, and so his presidency could be more personal than a party or democracy affair.

So far, even a former Republican president has accepted the results and congratulated Mr Biden, raising other concerns as to whether Trump’s rejection of the results is a personal or party affair.

On a light note though, Trump might be preparing the ground for his return to the ballot in 2024 as he is entitled constitutionally in case he so wishes.

Electoral fraud

By openly alleging electoral fraud, he could come back in the next election and claim how keen he is to secure a stolen victory. But the issue of conviction takes a bigger stake here.

Some legal officers have been quoted questioning whether presidents should enjoy immunity from arrest by their successors or can be tried as common citizens in case they commit a crime before, during or after their term in office.

If some of the allegations levelled against President Trump will be brought on board after Biden assumes office, the former might end up in jail or be fined for committing a crime in office and failing to protect the Constitution, which he swore to.

Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, was once quoted as saying that Trump should face charges once he leaves office. Biden, however, seems slow on the same, terming it as a trial on democracy.

Probably, President Trump knows he lost fair and square, but is playing third-class politics to buy the two months he has remaining in his tenure to bargain against his possible trial after he steps down in January.

Should he successfully convince the Biden Administration not to prosecute him, Trump would have saved his business empire that is currently under investigation by a New York agency.

Presidential immunity ought to be clarified to avoid such tension.

 Arasa Makori, Kisii