‘A man of such doubtful character,’ says Ex-diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar on Donald Trump’s win

The former diplomat criticises Donald Trump’s character and expresses disappointment over his victory in U.S. presidential election

Former diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar expressed his disappointment and concern over Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, calling him a “man of doubtful character”.

Speaking to ANI, Mr. Aiyar said, “I feel extremely sorry that a man of such doubtful character as Donald Trump shouldn’t have been elected the President of the world’s most powerful democracy.”

Mr. Trump has been made an accused related to falsifying business records in a hush-money case involving Stormy Daniels. The case centred on payments made to Daniels, an adult film actress, just days before the 2016 presidential election.

“The moral dimension was missing. It’s very saddening that such a powerful country will be led by such a man who has been convicted as a felon on 34 different counts and who has made an infamous name for himself by consorting with prostitutes and making payments to them to cover up for his sins. I don’t think a man of such a character is good for either his country or the world...,” added Mr. Aiyar.

In the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump won a decisive victory over his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. He will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, which will be his second term in this post.

Earlier, Mr. Trump was the President of the United States from 2016 to 2020. He had to face defeat in the election field for his second consecutive term from Democratic candidate Joe Biden. A few months before the U.S. presidential election, Joe Biden withdrew from contesting for a second term, after which the Democratic Party declared Kamala Harris as its candidate.

This will be only the second instance of a President serving two non-consecutive terms in the White House, the first in over 100 years. Grover Cleveland served as nonconsecutive President in 1884 and 1892. Trump had earlier served as U.S. President from 2016 to 2020.

Mr. Aiyar also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rapport with Mr. Trump. “I also recognize that there is a special rapport at a personal level between PM Modi and Trump, which I think reflects very badly on PM Modi and his personal preferences,” he said.

Mr. Aiyar has been known for his candid and sometimes provocative opinions, which have sparked debates and discussions in the political sphere. The relationship between PM Modi and Donald Trump has been a subject of interest for many.

While PM Modi has been known to maintain a diplomatic stance, his rapport with Mr. Trump has raised eyebrows. During Mr. Trump’s presidency, PM Modi invited him to the “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston in 2019, where a crowd of 50,000 attendees impressed Mr. Trump. This was followed by Trump’s visit to India in 2020, where he was welcomed with the “Namaste Trump” rally, organized by PM Modi in Ahmedabad, with 100,000 people in attendance.

However, PM Modi has also been cautious in his interactions with Mr. Trump, particularly during the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. Despite Mr. Trump’s claims of a potential meeting, PM Modi avoided engaging with both presidential candidates during his U.S. visit in September 2024.

Mr. Aiyar also expressed grief over Kamala Harris’s defeat. He said that Kamala Harris, who would have won, would have been the first woman and the first politician from India to become President.

“This would have been a historic and positive step. As for Kamala Harris, she was given a very short time. She came up from behind. She was performing extremely well. But it seems that very deep fault lines in American society ultimately coalesced against her, and she lost in this race,” said Mr. Aiyar.

Published - November 07, 2024 12:56 pm IST