As expected, the Americans have chosen a President, who is like most of them, and someone whose persona has not been cultivated or nurtured by the Washington lobbyists and the establishment. Donald Trump is the closest to what an average American is and reflects the aspirations of his people. He is not robotic in his speeches and brings in certain kind of originality which is missing from his opponents. Like Ronald Reagan before him, he is “an outsider’’ to the ways and methods of Washington and therefore brings in freshness which is neither cosmetic nor contrived nor acquired. He is what he is and his personality has been shaped by his own thinking and not by those around him. Thus, when he speaks, he is relating to the average American in a way, none of his contemporaries has done. Most American presidents since the end of World War two have been educated in either the Ivy league universities or have spent considerable time in DC, learning the ropes and honing their political skills. Trump is his own man, and it would not be surprising that in his second term, he could usher in a new political order in Washington, thereby showing the door to many who have made their living by perfecting the art of manipulating the system. His detractors have described him as a convicted Felon who has made it to the top office, but if is now the President, it is because the people have accepted him for what he is and believe that he is more transparent and straight in his dealings as compared to those who are critical of him.
Democracy has its ways of setting things right and amongst the various factors like inflation, unemployment, and attempts to change the cultural narrative, Trump’s landslide victory is because of his own personality and self-belief. He is someone who does not appear to be devious, and a leader who is capable of taking his own decisions, instead of being influenced by the existing establishment in Washington. While it would be unfair to second guess what all he would be doing so far as the world is concerned, it would be significant to first see, his appointees after he takes over. His team would provide an indication of what he plans to do during the next four years and how he would shape his policies, that would be different from those of his predecessors. In his second term, he is the second President in history to have this after a gap, Trump would be much wiser and more aware of how the system has been manipulated over the years. His greatest strength lies in his unconventional approach which is both transactional and pragmatic. He does what he believes in and thus he would be good for the world. He may be able to end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and his no-nonsense approach cannot be taken for granted either by the NATO and Volodymyr Zelenskyy or by Benjamin Netanyahu. Although both these leaders have congratulated him following his spectacular win, they must be nervous. Trump is committed to bringing in peace and for that to happen, it could imply, end of the road for Netanyahu in Israel with new leadership taking over sometime next year and in Ukraine. While Trump enjoys a good rapport with Vladimir Putin, he shall never allow that to come in while deciding on the way forward in ending the war. Even Putin would know that for the new US President, the interests of his own country are foremost.
Trump is a strong and determined leader and his election would also have a bearing on the Sino-US relations. He is not the one who is going to be cowed down by any pressure and would always find a way to contain the threat from the Dragon. So far as India is concerned, he enjoys tremendous goodwill here and his close friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is certainly going to play a role in how he looks towards New Delhi. He was amongst the first world leaders to condemn the attack on Hindus in Bangladesh, and therefore there are expectations that he could review the policy regarding South Asia. However, his first task in making “America great Again’’ would be to focus on domestic issues. He has already spelt out how he plans to approach the complex immigration problem and how he is uncomfortable with the demographic changes sought to be brought about by the previous government. He has to lay down the foundation for a new domestic policy where issues that concern the common people get addressed first. His victory was also amongst other things due to the failed initiatives of the Biden administration and thus he would be keen to correct these first. Trump has a transactional dimension to his outlook. Having been a successful businessman, he looks at the pros and cons of decisions. He tries to understand whether any investment made by his country would bring in the requisite dividends or would be just a waste of resources on others. Attempts to malign him have been deliberate and mischievous but the President-Elect is not a novice. He understands things more clearly now than he ever did. His commitment to his country is second to none. Therefore, any attempt to paint him in negative light is uncalled for. The American people have elected him because they find him as one amongst them and not someone whose world view is coloured by the prisms of Washington strategists. He has been elected, perhaps because it is the best choice his countrymen and women could have made at this juncture..
