Trump’s affair with a porn star seems to have generated a never-ending storm
Some people wistfully look back to the times before technology penetrated every aspect of our lives and before the madness of social media and its instant gratification and outrage made heroes out out of the unlikeliest characters. In those times, when the ‘mainstream media’ controlled the narrative, Donald Trump stood no chance of becoming the US President. His complex personal life, his constant gaffes around policy and just his sheer demeanor would have made him ineligible even for the lowest elected office. But we don’t live in those times anymore, in fact, Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the US presidency was remarkable, and while Hillary Clinton might go around pointing fingers, the fact is that she was a deeply unpopular candidate, a fact that made the US voting public ignore many of Trump’s peccadillos. A misogynistic comment about ‘grabbing them (women) by the p****’ was made public a few weeks ahead of the election; and in a ‘normal’ year would have been the final torpedo to sink his campaign. Yet, Trump carried on and not only won the US presidency, he has survived 15 months into it.
Sure, some might argue that his presidency has been a disaster, but much like Modi in India, Trump has to face an army of malcontent people who hold senior positions in the media. The fact is that Trump hasn’t begun a nuclear war and Trump’s Twitter tirade against Kim Jong-un could have played a role in actually bringing North Korea to the negotiating table, a feat that none of Trump’s predecessors managed. Even the allegations of Russian collusion during the US elections and the investigations into the matter have not really unearthed much until now, indeed Trump’s Administration has acted tough against Russia, particularly in Syria.
But Trump’s affair with a porn star, Stormy Daniels might turn out to be a bigger problem than he anticipated. His affairs with Daniels, and with the former Playboy Playment Karen McDougal have recently become public and allegations that Trump paid Daniels $130,000 (one crore rupees) as ‘hush money’ to keep the affair a secret, have become public. While there is nothing wrong in Donald Trump’s affairs despite the moral issues of being a philanderer and an unrepentant one, the problem here is that Donald Trump might have broken several banking and campaign finance laws while making the payments. And here is the problem for Donald Trump, by breaking these rules which can be proven through a paper trail, he might set himself up for impeachment. But Trump has the complete fealty of the Republican Party and while he should be censured for breaking the law, those arguing for his impeachment might find themselves fighting an uphill battle.