World under Trumpian Presidency

American voters have spoken quite clearly and they have handed over the leadership of the world’s most powerful State to the eccentric, divisive businessman-turned politician Donald Trump. The Septuagenarian’s return to the Oval Office makes the controversial leader only the second president since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to secure a second term after losing re-election.

Like during his first term, the former reality TV star’s administration would be more focussed on domestic issues and strengthening the US economy instead of pursuing the conventional foreign policy of Washington with regard to international affairs. Addressing his supporters, Trump vowed to heal the nation, fix its borders and to deliver a strong and prosperous economy. As early as last January, this column projected there was a high probability of the former one-term president returning to the White House. Unlike in 2016, when the Manhattan-based real estate mogul lost the popular vote, the winning candidate is reported to have received around 73 million votes (an overwhelming 50.8% of the total votes) with his rival trailing him by about 5 million votes at the time of writing this column, representing the enormity of the support he has received from the voters. The Republican candidate’s victory was achieved despite a criminal conviction, two assassination attempts apart from numerous criminal charges.

The sentiments of the voters about the US economy had contributed towards the victory of Trump. Although statistics about the health of the economy appears impressive, improvements recorded in terms of data have not transcended to the American working class, which enabled Joe Biden’s predecessor to emerge victorious in key battleground states that decided the outcome of the election. According to the extremely anti-Trump media network CNN, America’s home prices have reached new record highs for 15 straight months. Rising house prices have left many families in the States in despair as mortgage rates remain high. Frustration arising out of lack of access to affordable houses would have undoubtedly made constituents to direct their anger towards the incumbency, adversely affecting the electability of Kamala Harris. 

Also, like most parts of the developed world, the US consumers too felt the pinch from high inflation over the last couple of years. Prices in the US are about 20% higher now than they were when Biden took office, causing unhappiness to consumerist Americans.

The impulsive individual’s return to the helm has caused apprehension and anxiety among the leaders of the global superpower’s allies across Oceania, Asia, as well as Europe. Trump’s views on international affairs contravene the established norms and conventions of the international world order apart from disregarding the bipartisan consensus prevalent among Capitol Hill on the role of the US in the realm of internationalism. Unlike former US Presidents, Trump has repeatedly demonstrated a lukewarm attitude towards NATO – the critical military alliance among States in Europe and North America.

Reflecting Trump’s unorthodoxy from the American political establishment, he has always shown a soft corner towards Vladmir Putin, President of a State which has been considered as a historical enemy of America and with whom Washington finds itself at loggerheads quite regularly. What would happen to the war in Ukraine with Trump’s perceived pro-Russia attitude should be a great cause of concern for the leaders of NATO States that have supported Ukraine to defy the Russian invasion. Throughout the election campaign, the president-elect expressed reservations about Washington’s assistance to Kyiv as the war drags on for more than two and a half years.

Perhaps for Colombo, the return of Trump could be favourable in terms of dealing with the allegations of war crimes during the final stages of the military operation against the LTTE. During Trump’s first term, the US withdrew from the UNHRC, which always censures Colombo for failing to act on the alleged human rights violations committed in the course of defeating rebels. 

Whatever said and done, interesting times are ahead for the world under the Trumpian Presidency.