As of: April 7, 2024, 3:51 p.m
By: Sandra Kathe
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Because he is prepared to go to prison if necessary for the “truth,” Donald Trump has repeatedly compared himself to Nelson Mandela.
Washington – Because of the ongoing investigations against him, Donald Trump has now publicly compared himself twice to former South African President Nelson Mandela, who died in 2013. While his fans celebrate the elected US president for comparisons with the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who fought against racial segregation and racism in his country and was imprisoned for 27 years for it, Trump's critics react with scorn and ridicule.
The reason for the comparison, which was part of a long tirade of accusations and insults that Trump had spread on his own short message service Truth Social, was once again one of the legal proceedings that are currently underway against the former US President. Specifically, it is once again about the accusation that Trump paid hush money to the porn actress Stormy Daniels and falsified business documents.
Muzzle Trump: Judge bans comments about court employees and their families
In this case, the judge in charge, Juan Merchan, had already imposed a limited speech ban against the elected US President in March after he had repeatedly made public comments about those involved in the trial and their relatives during the ongoing proceedings. A court order then banned the ex-president from speaking about witnesses and their role in the proceedings or making public comments about lawyers, court employees and their family members.
While Trump is preparing for a new election campaign before a presidential election, several criminal proceedings are underway against the ex-president. (Archive photo) © Justin Lane/AFP
That order was expanded again just this week to include remarks to relatives of the judge and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, following another Trump tirade against the presiding judge's daughter. The background is the latest allegations from Trump, who accuses the judge of not being impartial and of even being a “political agent” for the Democrats because his daughter Loren Merchan worked as an advisor on Democratic campaigns.
“Great honor”: Trump wants to voluntarily sacrifice his freedom for a “worthy cause”.
Against this background, Trump - in his eyes, just like Nelson Mandela - sees himself in a martyr role and emphasized on Truth Social that it would be his "great honor" to go to prison and become a "modern Nelson Mandela" instead of banning himself to let the “truth” be spoken. Trump emphasized that he would be willing to sacrifice his freedom “for a worthy cause.” For days there has been a debate in the American media about whether Merchan could really have Trump put in prison as a deterrent. Trump had already made another Nelson Mandela comparison at a campaign event last fall.
Trump's comparison didn't just cause outraged and derisive reactions on social media. Combined with a fake court drawing showing Trump next to Jesus, it even provoked a reaction from those close to his successor. The
AFP
news agency quoted
a Biden spokeswoman as saying: “Imagine being so self-centered that you compare yourself to Jesus Christ and Nelson Mandela in just over a week.”
Criminal proceedings against Donald Trump: The allegations against the former US President
The criminal case surrounding the alleged falsification of business documents to disguise a hush money payment was the first case of its kind in US history to be opened against a former US president. Since then, three additional criminal charges with significantly more serious allegations have been pending against Trump: These relate to his attempts to subsequently overturn his 2020 election defeat against now-Democratic President Joe Biden, as well as his taking secret government documents to his private residence in Florida.
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The former US president, on the other hand, faces all allegations of alleged political persecution and has long complained about a “witch hunt” that is underway against him. In February, he then turned to the US Supreme Court and ordered a review of his immunity as a former head of state. An appeals court had previously ruled in the trial over Trump's attempted election influence that Trump could also be held accountable for crimes he allegedly committed as US President. Until the Supreme Court makes a decision, the trial, which was scheduled to begin last month, must be postponed indefinitely. (saka with AFP)