EDITORIAL: He might still come up Trumps

Take your pick, America! It seems the 2024 presidential election will be a race, or shuffle, between “Sleepy” Joe Biden, who’ll be 82 if he wins, and, you guessed it, “Dirty” Donald Trump, who’ll be a sprightly 77. Not exactly spoilt for choice.  

This week Trump appeared at a CNN “town hall’’ meeting, which might be CNN’s way of signalling that it won’t underestimate Trump this time around. It was Trump’s way of saying he’s back.

We marvel in SA at the durability of our politicians, yet Trump’s apparent ability to laugh off serious claims is without equal. He’s just been found liable for sexual harassment in a civil trial in New York and ordered to pay $5m. He’s been impeached twice and faces other looming charges. 

None of this will hold him back from another go at the presidency, which he insists he won, even though courts in Republican states ruled otherwise.  

Even his disturbingly off-colour comments about women were applauded at the CNN event, by women. His base still loves him, cheering him on. Scandal or not, he has an unbreakable cultural affinity with supporters in an era that threatens their values and traditions.  

At least half of America will vote for him, maybe more. The rest of us can only look on in shock.