In a shocking turn of events, the court has spoken and the chilling conviction is here to stay. Former US President Donald Trump rewrote American history by becoming the first US president to be prosecuted in a criminal trial. And now that he earned the special mention as the first to be convicted by a New York jury on not one, not two but 34 counts, the entire nation appears stunned and divided like never before. That Mr Trump refuses to back out of his presidential race despite a looming jail sentence speaks volumes about how abysmally the bar has been lowered. There seem to be no no-go areas in American politics as guilty, charged, jailed, and everyone is free to stand at the helm. The events leading up to the conviction of Donald Trump can be traced back to the controversial 2020 presidential election. Trump’s refusal to accept the election results and his relentless campaign to overturn the outcome sparked widespread unrest and violence across the country. The storming of the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, was a direct result of Trump’s false claims of election fraud and his inflammatory rhetoric. Throughout his presidency, Trump repeatedly flouted the rule of law and abused his power for personal gain. His brazen disregard for democratic norms and institutions set a dangerous precedent for future leaders. The lack of accountability during his time in office only emboldened him to push the boundaries of acceptable behaviour further. The decision to convict Donald Trump sends a clear message that no one is above the law. But would the hard-hitting evidence presented during the trial make an impression on millions of his followers? Would they cease to see the former president as a demigod whose half-baked ideas, a brigade of lies and a glaring refusal to snap out of the delusions carve their paths for them? For now, the fallout from the trial is likely to be far-reaching, with deep political divisions and heightened tensions across the land. Meanwhile, a string of questions have also sprung up about the nature of leadership and the responsibilities that come with holding public office. Leaders are entrusted with the power to shape the course of history and influence the lives of millions. Shouldn’t the torchbearer in democratic ideals and the forerunner of the free world come up with mechanisms to establish transparency, accountability and most important of all, self-regulatory safeguards to ensure it does not land here again? *