World's oldest democracy again fails to elect its first woman President

Trump's resounding victory speaks volumes not only about him as a politician and a leader but also about his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris and American society as a whole.

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On 6 November 2024, Donald J. Trump made history by becoming the first President since 1897, after Grover Cleveland, to win a second non-consecutive term to serve as the 47th President of the United States. In the face of numerous legal challenges, he has registered the greatest political comeback in more than a century. Trump's resounding victory (it didn't turn out to be a nail-biting contest as predicted by the media) speaks volumes not only about him as a politician and a leader but also about his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris and the American society as a whole.

Notwithstanding his unpredictability, erratic behaviour, misdemeanour, use of offensive language and questionable financial dealings, Trump is a charismatic leader with deep self-belief, tenacity, unshaken confidence and enviable ability to inspire his supporters. Since his loss in November 2020, he continued to maintain that the election was stolen and court cases against him constituted orchestrated witchhunt. And in spite of record setting two impeachments, 24 felony charges, conviction in two criminal cases, sex scandals, unauthorised transfer of classified documents, Trump didn't crumble; he continued to fight against all odds and eventually won the day.

His popularity and mystic hold on his diehard supporters didn't diminish. A Perfect Teflon man; political opponents' accusations didn't stick on him nor did the criticism by his former colleagues: Vice President Mike Pence, his second Chief of Staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defence James Mattis and Mark Ericson, his second and third NSA, H.R. McMaster and John Bolton and his Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen Mark Miley (Retd) and others. For his admirers, he could do no wrong.

And what does his re-election say about the American society? In South Asia: in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh we have had woman leaders who led their country for years.