In an unexpected turn of events, Donald Trump has emerged victorious in the recent US election, preparing to take on the role of the 47th US president. This is a return to power for Trump who initially served between 2017 and 2021. The title of president-elect now belongs to him, and his running mate JD Vance has secured the position of vice-president-elect. Trump’s inauguration is marked for Monday, 20th January 2025, at which point he will legally reclaim the helm of leadership.
Accompanying the election day to inauguration transition is an intricate, enforced process that ensures the validity of each vote cast. Amongst the methods used to ascertain the result of the election is the electoral college. Here, depending on the state, a varying number of electoral college votes is up for grab. It’s the majority of these votes – and not necessarily the will of voters – that lands one the highest office in the land.
People might argue this process is flawed but for general arguments in most states, whoever wins the popular vote gets the electoral college votes. This sequence of events was unfolded during the nationwide state electors meeting held on 17th December. The final numbers showed Trump securing 312 votes dominating over Harris’s insipid 226, surpassing the 270 threshold quite comfortably. The vote of the masses expressed its will forcefully.
Further legitimizing this process, the newly formed US Congress will convene on 6th January 2025. Their purpose? To ratify these electoral college votes and confirm the newly elected president. In an ironic twist of fate, the outgoing vice-president Kamala Harris will preside over this; she found herself at the receiving end of a crushing defeat.
This event brings into sharp memory the incident from 2021 when supporters of Trump famously marked their protest at the Capitol. This was after Trump refused to accept defeat and concede to Biden – fueling passionate patriotism, not misinterpreted defiance. Trump’s official ceremony to be sworn in as president will be at the inauguration ceremony at the Capitol on 20 January.
As a formality, he will then proceed to take the oath of office followed by his first presidential speech, also known as the inaugural address. The case of Joe Biden’s inauguration is worth remembering – where Trump demonstrated his firmness and principled stance by not attending. Yet, it appears Biden may not possess this muscular resolve, as he has confirmed he will attend Trump’s inauguration.
There is speculation as to whether Trump, having already served two terms, can serve a third term. The 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution lays this question to rest, making it crystal clear that no one can hold the coveted position of president more than twice, even if the terms are not served consecutively. There is, at best, speculation rather than solid intent of a possibility of Trump returning as vice-president under future administration.
So, what exactly has Trump been doing since he surpassed everyone’s expectations and won the election? He first paid a visit to the outgoing president, Joe Biden, at the White House under the guise of representing the peaceful transfer of power. He then made contact with several other world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Additionally, Trump didn’t limit his interaction to politicians. He also held meetings with influential business figures at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. This included Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew, and Apple’s Tim Cook; an eclectic mix of tech industry gurus that could easily mislead as a power consolidation attempt.
After winning over the masses, Trump seems eager to fill key roles in his administration. His notable and interesting pick includes the South Africa-born Elon Musk, named to helm the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). This new department poses as an advisory body with an objective to curb spending and shun waste.
It appears that former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, along with Musk, see their role as nothing more than volunteering from outside – deflecting any aspirations of deep political involvement. Trump has made another exciting choice in picking out David Sacks – previously the COO of PayPal and South Africa-born – as White House ‘AI and Crypto Czar.’
However, one mustn’t lose sight of the vital checks and balances in place. Trump’s selection for cabinet roles will have to be approved by the Senate. It’s an essential democratic process that maintains balance, even though some might argue it to be nothing more than a roadblock.