WHERE America leads, the UK has a habit of following. Not only evidenced by our entry into wars in the Middle East, but also by our attempts to imitate US politics.

UK party leaders are being presented in an increasingly presidential style. Outlets like GB News trot out the same tripe of the likes of Fox News. America gave us a Donald Trump so we had to have Boris Johnson.

It is undeniable how intertwined both UK and US political spheres are, but the upcoming US election on November 5, will undoubtedly have ramifications the world over.

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In the battle for the White House, the Democrats made the correct call in replacing Joe Biden with Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee.

Her energy, her positivity, her coherent and frank communication style is a stark contrast to the bizarre ramblings of Republican candidate Trump.

From his declaration that he “has no cognitive” to aimlessly wandering the stage of his own rally in complete silence (more than once), the intellectual contrast between the two is obvious.

Since the US Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to access abortion (Roe v Wade) two years ago, 21 states have either tightened restrictions on abortion or banned it in almost all circumstances.

Trump called this tsunami of restrictions, “a beautiful thing to watch”, and claimed credit for the decision since he nominated three of the Supreme Court Justices who voted to overturn Roe in 2022.

I am reminded of the wise words of Maya Angelou: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Let’s remind ourselves who Trump is. This is a man with a history of misogynistic abuse and sexualisation of women. A man who publicly fantasises about dating his own daughter. A man who has been accused by multiple women of sexual abuse and harassment, and was himself recorded sharing advice on how to sexually assault women.

As well as his long-recorded history of misogyny, Trump has left a trail of racism and xenophobia spanning decades.

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When asked about the support he receives from white supremacists, Trump struggled to disavow the Ku Klux Klan saying “I have to look at the group ... You wouldn’t want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about.”

He has been accused of using the N-word numerous times and has repeatedly branded immigrants as drug dealers and rapists.

His continual harassment of the Central Park Five, who have been cleared of any wrongdoing, proves his inability and unwillingness to reflect on his own actions.

Anyone objectively looking at the life and actions of Trump would find evidence he is a conman and a liar.

From presenting as a self-made millionaire despite loans from his millionaire father, to presenting as a successful entrepreneur despite multiple bankruptcies – one thing is sure; Trump cannot and should not be trusted.

Even if we begrudgingly put his racism and misogyny to one side for a moment, he has proven to be a danger to democracy itself. After losing the 2020 presidential election to Biden, Trump’s supporters attempted to overthrow the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, and prevent Biden being formally declared president. Trump labelled the insurrection as a “day of love”.

If Trump credits himself for decisions made by the Supreme Court, then he should also claim credit for the Supreme Court decision to grant former presidents at least some immunity from criminal prosecution.

Quite a convenient ruling given the amount of legal action Trump is embroiled in.

One of which accused Trump of mishandling classified documents by taking them from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago residence after he left office.

He is also accused of obstructing the FBI in retrieving the files, and the wilful retention of national defence information.

In the case of his hush payment to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election, jurors deliberated over two days before finding the former president guilty of all 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws.

His lawyers are reportedly requesting the conviction be overturned, citing the Supreme Court immunity ruling.

Throughout the current 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has repeated his promise that, “you won’t have to vote again” should he be elected president. Just this week his former chief of staff claimed that, during his time in office, Trump had praised Hitler and spoke of his desire to have generals like Hitler did.

It is truly terrifying that polls maintain the presidential election is too close to call. I am under no illusions that a Harris win would somehow solve every problem in America, but it would at least signal a return to some semblance of sanity.

Given I am currently re-watching The Sopranos, I find myself thinking of the scene where mob-boss wife, Carmela, attends therapy in the hope of easing her guilty conscience. Instead of justifying her lifestyle, the therapist tells her the cold hard truth and finishes with, “one thing you can never say is you haven’t been told”. Given all we know about Trump, that quote is big enough to apply to the whole of the US.