A member of the Progressive Federal Party, Trent represented the Port Elizabeth Central Constituency in the previous Cape Provincial Council alongside Molly Blackburn.

[2] After serving one term in Parliament, Trent was elected as the sole DP representative in the newly established Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature in 1994.

[2] Trent wrote to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete in 2005 requesting that Auditor General Shauket Fakie appear before the parliamentary committee on the auditor-general over new revelations on his arms deal report.

[5] In March 2008, Trent submitted questions to South African President Thabo Mbeki on his alleged involvement in the arms deal.

Menzi Simelane refused to give the DA access to the German and British Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) agreements with South Africa.