The presidents before Trump were complicit in manufacturing wars to further American colonial adventurism, just as Trump has continued to assert American control overseas. As the presidents change, very little else does. Joe Biden taking the reins of power will offer more of the same. Rather than looking at the short-term temporary gains in backing one horse or another, Muslims should focus on exposing the reality of the corrupt secular ideology, its capitalist system, and its failed democracy, which is used the world over to enforce the hegemony of an undeserving wealthy elite.

Donald Trump was not a popular choice for Republican Party presidential candidate at the beginning of the 2016 election campaign, but somehow emerged on top, and even won the election despite losing the popular vote. A lot of money, external interference and manipulation of social media advertising propelled him into the White House, as his campaign relied on a populist anti-establishment message that rang true for many Americans. The traditional capitalist politics had been visibly failing the people across the globe, so it was no surprise that opportunists across Europe and America would exploit the situation to reach power.

They offered change but delivered none of it. In reality, they were a band of creative campaigners with some new technology that they used to manipulate the emotions of the electorate. Once they got power, however, they were out of their depth, unsure exactly how to govern. Their manipulative campaigning techniques were subsequently exposed, and the coronavirus pandemic further exposed their incompetence.

It is narrated from Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

سَيَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ سَنَوَاتٌ خَدَّاعَاتُ يُصَدَّقُ فِيهَا الْكَاذِبُ وَيُكَذَّبُ فِيهَا الصَّادِقُ وَيُؤْتَمَنُ فِيهَا الْخَائِنُ وَيُخَوَّنُ فِيهَا الْأَمِينُ وَيَنْطِقُ فِيهَا الرُّوَيْبِضَةُ قِيلَ وَمَا الرُّوَيْبِضَةُ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ التَّافِهُ فِي أَمْرِ الْعَامَّةِ

“Deceiving years will come when the liar is believed and the honest man disbelieved; when the traitor is trusted, and the trustworthy man is regarded as a traitor; and in those years the Ruwaibidhah will speak” It was said ‘Who are the Ruwaibidhah?’ The Prophet ﷺ replied: “The shallow man who speaks in public affairs.” (Ibn Majah)

Despite the minority support that put Trump in power, his time in office brought right-wing emotions to the fore, as he spoke almost exclusively to his racist, conspiratorial support base, who lapped up the attention that they had been denied for decades. Trump hardened the attitude of millions towards truth and falsehood, such that there appears to be almost no objective proof for anything any more, as only the popularity of opinions matters. This acceleration of the spread of relativist thinking was catalysed by Trumpism, but it was always on the increase, as an inevitable by-product of democracy.

Secularists do not recognise truth and falsehood in an objective way, so they made democracy the way to make divine the relative truth of any given policy, based upon its popularity. To hide the obvious flaws of such a notion, they claimed that rigorous debate guaranteed by a free press would ensure that all policies are given proper scrutiny. In reality, the powerful elite who control the press and media organisations only ensure that debate is superficial, as they manipulate the people for their own benefit. Democracy was always going to favour the powerful over the weak, as that is the way that the system was designed.

The 2020 election in America, along with the recent and upcoming elections throughout Europe, is an exercise of power struggles among the elite, who all compete for the power to manipulate the rest of the people for their own gain. To survive in the 21st-century capitalism must undergo a serious makeover, even if it is superficial, or else the elite will find that the ordinary people are restless and demand a better alternative.

The system of democracy that is pathologically short-termist and makes personal benefit and popularity the criteria for deciding all matters, right or wrong, must be thoroughly rejected as an idea. It is unsuitable for humanity in any age. It must be exposed as a tool to make people acquiesce to being suppressed and subservient to a powerful elite, regardless of who the current face of that elite group may be.

Muslims should use this atmosphere of political discussion to question how truthful the political process is in the West, and we can promote the Islamic political system, the Khilafah (caliphate) on the way of Prophethood.

Abu Maryam al-Azdi narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ وَلاَّهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ شَيْئًا مِنْ أَمْرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَاحْتَجَبَ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِمْ وَخَلَّتِهِمْ وَفَقْرِهِمُ احْتَجَبَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِ وَخَلَّتِهِ وَفَقْرِهِ

“Whoever is put in charge of any of the affairs of the Muslims and remains aloof from them and pays no attention to their needs and poverty, Allah will remain aloof from him on the Day of Resurrection, and will pay no attention to his needs and poverty.” [Abu Dawood]