The beginning of President Trump's end
Donald Trump's presidency is hanging by a thread. Its fall may even be a matter of time.
It seems impossible, as Washington prepares to celebrate his appointment as President of the United States in a week's time. Who would dare to predict today that the real estate mogul is in fact going to ruin?
We must remember May 13, 2013. On that day, the Gawker website announced the existence of a video showing the mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, smoking crack in the company of traffickers. We all know how this story ended.
This time, it is through the Buzzfeed site that the scandal arrives. On Tuesday evening, Buzzfeed released a 35-page document, which has been circulating for months in the United States, written by a former British intelligence agent, who now works as a private consultant. The allegations contained in this document, if proven, will bring about the downfall of Donald Trump.
We mention the existence of videos where prostitutes indulge, in his presence, in scenes of ondinism (eroticization of the act of urinating). The descent into hell of American politics apparently knows no bottom.
Such humiliation would be enough to discredit whoever aspires to rule the country, but these videos are just a distraction at best. The file recounts in detail the negotiations, not to say the conspiracy, between the Trump team and the Russian leaders, to promote his election. If this is the case, we no longer speak of humiliation but of betrayal.
No proof of the reality of these allegations has yet been provided. Was it justified, under these conditions, to make this document public? The answer is yes, without hesitation.
Because three intelligence services, the CIA, the FBI and the NSA, have already concluded that Russia intervened to promote the election of Donald Trump and that this document was one of their sources of information. It is the role of the media to disseminate as much information as possible to the public and the example of Toronto, like this one, shows what new media can bring to journalism. The citizens of the United States, and not just them, have a vested interest in knowing the truth.
Now, how can we believe that unproven allegations can spell the end of Donald Trump?
Because too many clues point in the same direction. Starting with the sickly narcissism of a man who makes no distinction between his personal interests and the presidency of the country, like Vladimir Putin. And Trump's admiration for the Russian leader defies understanding. It only makes sense according to their personal interests.
The president-elect shows the same propensity for nepotism, appointing his son-in-law to a post of councilor. On Wednesday again, he boasted at a press conference of being above the laws on conflicts of interest.
For years he has maintained close relationships with Russian oligarchs, some of whom are close to Putin. And members of his team, Carter Page and Paul Manafort to name but the most famous, have been weaving these bonds in this country for too long.
With the publication of the document, the hunt is well and truly on now, and as was the case with Rob Ford, we will inevitably find the fire behind that smoke.
