DONALD Trump continues to go against the grain of what has come to be generally expected of the United States’ (U.S.) president and president-elect.
Some see him as a blank slate on issues and nuances of governance and politics, but seemingly comfortable in such state. Others see his approach as a strategy to dumbfound his critics and shut the media out, which though considered important to democracy, he relishes having an adversarial relationship with. His inner circle and Republican hierarchy are often found feeling it incumbent upon them to defend him or skirt the contentious issues he generates.
There is no denying Trump is a consummate salesman, who relishes his showmanship, and loves the mainstream media but only on his terms. Consequently, he attacks media houses and personnel he considers has given him unfavourable coverage, and continues to cultivate greater reliance on social media to get his message out. The media, recognising this, are also sourcing their news about him and his politics from his tweets.
Whereas Barack Obama capitalised on social media to create a movement on hope, change, and belief in persons’ abilities to change their circumstances for the better by working together, Trump has found a different use for it.
With a Twitter following of millions, Trump has not been idle. He has attacked and insulted those he is cross with, would make promises, comment on issues, discuss the work of his transition team and likely candidates to fill positions, spread misinformation and stretch the truth. An incredulous person he is, but to what end and for what purpose, people are still trying to figure out. As he continues to confound by the things he says and does, and where the president, of what is considered the world’s most powerful nation, has always held a certain aura and respect, uncharted waters are being treaded here.
In a tweet ,Trump called on Boeing to “cancel” its developmental programme for the presidential carrier, Airforce One, claiming it costs over US$4B. This call was greeted with much support, though information revealed the cost was grossly exaggerated. In his ‘Thank You Tour,’ at a rally stop, Trump informed his audience that he saved 1100 jobs by asking Carrier not to take its business overseas. This claim was refuted (the actual figure is 700) but was met with swift reaction from Trump, who took to Twitter to attack the union leader who made it public.
In the U.S., constitutionally there is only one president at a time. Trump remains president-elect until he takes the Oath of Office as President on 20th January, 2017. To those paying attention it seems as though this fact may have escaped him as he seeks and hosts meetings with world leaders, almost as though there are two presidents. This departure from established protocol has also created raised eyebrows.
Constitutional authorities are expressing concerns for the integrity of the Office in calling for the isolating of any possibility that the incoming president is engaged in any conflict of interest, given Trump’s corporate interests, domestic and global. Though he continues to be called on to put his business into a blind trust, he has responded with ambivalence.
Some of his current meetings with foreign leaders are with those countries in which he and/or his family has business interests. One such instance was a meeting with him and daughter with the Japanese Prime Minister. When the media, who were shut out, questioned him after about the nature of the meeting, he refused to divulge information. His campaign promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Health Care Act (aka Obamacare) on day one of his presidency sees the majority of Americans wanting it to remain. A repeal of this Act would automatically uninsure 20 million people, with likely negative consequences and public outcry. And whereas Trump won the presidency, recent polls show a majority of people disapprove of him.
Though the aforementioned are matters the people of the U. S. will have to deal with and as the global community takes note, it too has its interests to attend. These include Trump’s presented disregard for climate change and what such may mean for the 2015 Paris Agreement given the U.S. role and committed support. He has called global warming a hoax, though him and daughter held a recent engagement with former Vice-President Al Gore, who is considered an authority on the subject.
Most world governments desire improved U.S./Cuba relations and have remained hopeful there would be continued reversal of the anti-Cuba policy, and ultimately an end of the trade embargo. Trump has created cause for concern with his venomous tweets and statements at the passing of Fidel Castro.
Franklin D. Roosevelt during the U.S. Depression used his frequent radio broadcasts, aka “fireside chats,” to communicate his government’s development policies, unite the nation, reassure an anxious populace, and by extension gave the world hope.
Trump is using his tweets, frankly, to create opposite effects. Whether this is his intent, only time will tell.
In the meantime, societies such as ours have to, in the organisations we are members of, devise strategies to ensure relations with the U.S. Government to advance our interests. These include honouring the Climate Change Agreement, lifting the trade embargo, and maintaining the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Guyana.
