As president, he may have done worse than a cover-up affair, but politicians in America sometimes stumble over seemingly trivial matters.
(Photo: Reuters)
American history is full of examples where well-known figures have been stumped by seemingly trivialities. Mafia godfather Al Capone fell not over his murders but over his taxes. US President Bill Clinton almost fell over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. And Donald Trump could also stumble over the consequences of his alleged affair with porn actress Stormy Daniels.
The judiciary could not prove the alleged Russian influence on the presidential election. The commission on the storming of the Capitol has also not brought any results so far. But the relationship with a porn actress could now get the ex-president in serious trouble.
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Of course, the ongoing process is not officially about his relationship with Stormy Daniels. The question is whether he mistakenly booked the hush money payments as business expenses and whether they shouldn’t actually have been declared as campaign donations.
And if you look at it soberly, hush money payments are legal. They are quite common in the business world – non-disclosure agreements are signed by former employees as well as business partners. Mrs. Daniels accepted the payment and signed a contract. “The Art of the Deal” – as Trump once titled his book.
The fact that an old-school womanizer like Trump had an affair with a porn actress isn’t really shocking either. No matter how reprehensible one may find his behavior towards women personally. They were also two adults who knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. Daniels was neither a minor nor an employee reporting to him, so he could have exploited this power imbalance.
In America one stumbles over supposed trivialities
Nevertheless, the campaign team probably saw this as a problem because of public morals and so the hush money was paid, which could now be Trump’s undoing.
Legally, the process may be entirely correct. But one can certainly accuse Trump of worse things than a cover-up affair. The fact that he fueled the riots on January 6th, almost inciting a coup d’état, should weigh more morally than one of many affairs.
But we are in America. And then you stumble over supposed trivialities or prudery.
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