More than 70 million Americans have just voted to elect a man widely recognized as a liar and fraudster to the highest office in the nation. For some, this decision reflects a deep-seated resentment, with accusations that ‘America hates women’, while others attribute the support to widespread economic struggles. Regardless of the underlying reasons, one undeniable fact remains: in many other countries, someone with a legal and ethical record as controversial as his would be disqualified from even running for office, let alone winning it. The fact that such a disgraceful figure could not only run but actually win in the United States is a gift to dictators worldwide, providing potent evidence to dismiss democracy as weak and deeply flawed.
In my opinion, the election of Donald Trump raises several troubling and pressing questions:
1- Since the majority of U.S. voters elected a liar, a fraudster, and a rapist as president, does that mean they have no minimum standard of decency?
2 - With Trump widely condemned as an enemy of science, are U.S. government scientists not merely complicit but active enablers in advancing his anti-science agenda?
3 - And as the global race for top talent accelerates—illustrated by France’s recent loss of a Nobel laureate to China—how many of the world’s leading scientists would still consider squandering their efforts to advance such a notorious agenda, all while upholding the facade of a decaying empire now led by a shameless fraud and unapologetic xenophobe?
Trump University was accused of fraud for misleading students about the value of its courses. In 2016, Trump settled this civil case for $25 million, admitting no wrongdoing.
In 2018, the Trump Foundation was dissolved after the New York Attorney General’s office found that it had engaged in a “shocking pattern of illegality,”. Trump was ordered to pay $2 million in damages.
In a civil fraud trial in New York (2023), a judge ruled that Trump repeatedly committed fraud by inflating property values on financial statements.
Journalist E. Jean Carroll sued Trump for defamation after he denied her claims of sexual assault, calling her a liar. In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation
Trump was indicted for mishandling classified documents. Federal prosecutors alleged that he took classified materials from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence, then obstructed efforts by the government to recover them.
Trump faces federal charges for his role in the events leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, where he was accused of conspiring to obstruct the electoral vote certification and inciting violence among his supporters.
In Georgia, Trump was indicted for allegedly attempting to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. This case includes the infamous phone call where he asked Georgia’s Secretary of State to “find” enough votes to change the outcome. He faces racketeering (RICO) charges and other related accusations.
