Donald Trump says America should consider life presidency some day, just as the Chinese parliament gets set to remove tenured presidency from the Asian country’s constitution, thereby making Xi Jinping President for life.
Trump made the comments on Saturday during a freewheeling speech to Republican donors held inside the ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“He’s now President for life. President for life. No, he’s great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot some day,” Trump said.
Trump’s said the American political system is a rigged system, wondering why his actions during the 2016 presidential campaign are still being scrutinised while it appears Hilary Clinton, his opponent, is not even being probed.
“I’m telling you, it’s a rigged system folks. I’ve been saying that for a long time. It’s a rigged system. And we don’t have the right people in there yet. We have a lot of great people, but certain things, we don’t have the right people,” he said.
“Is Hillary a happy person? Do you think she’s happy?. When she goes home at night, does she say, ‘What a great life?’ I don’t think so. You never know. I hope she’s happy.”
China’s constitution provides for a two five-year tenured Presidency. However, the country’s parliament, made up of mostly members from Jinping’s Chinese Communist Party, is proposing to amend it.
The amendment seeks to remove the provision that the President and Vice President of the People’s Republic of China “shall serve no more than two consecutive terms”.
Experts say voting to effect the new amendment will hold later in March and is expected to sail through. When it does, Xi Jinping will be free to serve as China’s head of state indefinitely.