by Renato Reyes Jr., BAYAN President
US President Donald Trump is headed for a stunning mid-term election defeat, with media groups projecting that rival Democrats will gain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. If Trump loses both houses of Congress, he becomes at the very least a lame duck president and, worse yet, he could face impeachment proceedings and removal from office next year.
The mid-term election loss comes two weeks before Trump’s scheduled visit to Manila (ASEAN) and China (APEC) to meet with world leaders. He comes to Manila severely diminished and faces growing protests over his Pax Silica initiative, and the land-grabbing and resource-grabbing of US monopolies. Philippine President and US cheerleader Bongbong Marcos, Jr is set to roll out the red carpet for the loser Trump.
What happened in the US polls? American voters repudiated Trump as the economy and the cost of living took center stage in the polls. Trump promised no more foreign wars, but waged a war on Iran that had no foreseeable ending and had dire repercussions on soaring oil prices and the economy. Trump promised aggressive deportation policies and unleashed the fascist ICE on communities, resulting in multiple deaths, illegal detentions and human rights violations. Trump sought to use his office to enrich himself—accepting gifts, using his influence to favor his family’s businesses, using the war on Iran to gain advantages for his family’s business interests (especially in energy), and pushing for White House renovations costing a mind-boggling $1 billion. Trump was also an unapologetic backer of Israel in its genocide against Palestine.
In the end, Trump’s imperialist war, fascist and racist policies, and shameless corruption became his own undoing. Rightly so. The people of the world now want to hold this madman accountable. The people want an end to US wars of aggression and plunder.
Make no mistake, a Democrat-led Congress does not solve the fundamental issues faced by the people of the US and the world. It doesn’t change the imperialist character of the US. The path towards genuine change goes beyond the ballot and will require the people achieving power against the ruling classes and imperialists.
But today, let’s savor this moment Donald Trump gets his ass kicked in the polls. He will arrive in Manila on November 16, severely beaten and rejected, and will get the fiery protest he definitely deserves. Kick #TrumpOut, #NoToPaxSilica and defeat US imperialism! #
