The Donald Trump quadrennial has well and truly begun. A clutch of executive orders from him has taken aim at a snappy reversal of Joe Biden regime policies. What the 47th US President has done towards making America great again is bound to have an impact on life in the USA for its citizens as well as its immigrants, especially the illegal ones. But what Mr Trump has done so far in taking decisions that will have a bearing on world affairs will have serious repercussions.
Tossed out along with membership of the World Health Organisation is America’s signature on the Paris Agreement, which means climate change action would be the most affected. Along with the EVs that seemed to be the world’s answer to urban pollution and its effect on global warming, out goes America’s participation in trying to stave off the worst of climate change events, many of which like the New Orleans floods and the California wildfires have affected the US, too.
From now on, second-guessing Trump is going to be more of a professional assignment in governments, including in New Delhi. It is in a different and more dangerous world that the maverick US President has taken charge, which means that a lot more of his actions may prove disruptive of a world order that has existed for long. The Republicans’ control of the trifecta of the White House, Senate and the House of Representatives means there will be little to check the powers that Trump shows he can use as seen in just the first tranche of executive orders he signed in a flurry.
The swearing-in was dignified this time around with Mr and Mrs Trump waving goodbye at the helipad to the former President and Vice-President, both of whom had joined one of many standing ovations when Trump spoke of the hostages coming back from Gaza. It is, however, unlikely to have a sobering impact on President Trump and his cabal of tech billionaires whose clout is apparent in many of the decisions. However, not everything was beautiful as the golden era began with Carrie Underwood singing ‘America is Beautiful’ after a long technical glitch that left such a third worldly impression.
India has a few reasons to be perturbed, especially since the 25 per cent tariff envisaged on Canadian and Mexican imports from February 1 might mean tariffs could well be aimed at others too. China will feel the pinch first among the major economies if the US, the biggest buyer of goods, is going to look inwards. The Harley Davidson example being a bee in his bonnet, Trump is unlikely to leave India out. Dealing with it is going to be India’s problem, but there are other areas in which the country can hope to gain from the regime change in Washington.
Trump projected his inaugural as the beginning of a golden era for America. Would that mean it might be a dark one for many parts of the rest of the world? His being less abrasive and more upbeat in a second inaugural address was a positive take away from the ceremony. And yet the days ahead are going to be fraught with tension and intrigue too as the world sweats over what orders would be coming next from the White House. The fractious times that we live in are going to get that much more interesting.
