This time, Trump played a game of 'Super Mario,' jumping straight onto the presidential throne and conveniently taking the governing power for the next four years, controlling the Senate, and almost kicking open the doors of the House of Representatives (just 14 votes short; you can imagine the urgency).
On the Republican side, ever since Trump rose to prominence and that 'excitement' on Capitol Hill, they've been on a roller coaster ride, speeding all the way to 2022, and finally reclaimed the House of Representatives. Now, Liz Cheney and those 'old hardliners' are either being 'cleaned out' or left out in the cold. Want to climb up? You must first bow to Trump! Let's put it this way, the Republican Party is now no different from the 'Trump fan club.'
In America, self-proclaimed as the 'New Rome,' it sounds quite stylish. But do you know? Among the 9 justices of the Supreme Court, 6 are conservatives, and 3 were personally selected by Trump. Where is the promised 'judicial independence'? In this election, the Supreme Court blatantly took sides: in March, they helped lift Trump's ban, and in July, they gave him a 'get out of jail free' card. On the Democratic side, Biden and his buddies were so anxious that they nearly cried out loud.
Now, Trump has the executive power in his left hand, the legislative power in his right hand, and judicial power tucked under his arm. Separation of powers? Not in this case! He is set to become the most 'troublesome' president in American history since Roosevelt. The British media (Financial Times) has long predicted that if Trump wins, it will be a 'coronation.'
However, Rome wasn't built in a day; the real drama is yet to come: Trump going from 'prisoner' to 'leader of the conversation.' What are those Democratic bigwigs who previously shouted to 'eliminate him' planning to do now?
It is said that Mr. Trump has a lot of plans to let Biden and his son go, but as for other Democrats, well, that's another story. Biden has now become the 'scapegoat' for Harris's defeat, and even within the Democratic Party, he is being blamed for not withdrawing in time. In fact, Biden is clear-minded; he had no choice but to withdraw back then, and perhaps he even received a 'small promise' from the Democratic Party - if Harris wins, she will grant a pardon to his son Hunter.
Is Biden being 'confused' or 'shrewd'? Maybe he is betting on both sides: accepting conditions on one hand while trying to please Trump on the other, like that time he wore Trump's 'little red hat' under public pressure, and Trump actually gave him face, saying he would consider pardoning Hunter if he won.
But just because Trump lets Biden go doesn't mean he will let others go. Remember when Hillary's 'email scandal' happened? Trump also let it go lightly, and what was the Democrats' response? After the Capitol Hill riot, they teamed up with the 'old hardliners' in the Republican Party to set up a court and even tried to convict Trump, with the FBI even raiding Trump's home.
(Time) magazine's photo editors have been ready for this moment for a long time!
Although Trump broke the 'unwritten rules' of the political circle, it also provoked the Democrats' crazy revenge. However, the Democrats miscalculated; Trump did not become the 'American version of Cao Shuang' but instead made a stunning comeback in the 2024 election.
The funniest part is that the U.S. Department of Justice has now 'slid down at lightning speed,' with the special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is responsible for investigating Trump, busy negotiating with Trump's team to drop the lawsuit. This political drama has just begun!
