The 100-day-old presidency
M. R. Dua
Donald J. Trump
AS the 45th President of
the United States,
Donald J. Trump,
completes his first 100
days this month, what
do the American people
say of his presidency? Nothing to
celebrate, yet, whisper people in the
street, worrisome, aver most still
scared immigrants. 'Devastating for
women', opines Center for American
Progress. Generally, the Trump
regime rings ominous bells for the
United States and the world? How?
Why? Here is how and
why:
Umpteen questions
are being asked about
the Trump
administration's new
policy edicts, such as
intimate involvement of
the President's family
members, particularly
daughter Ivanka, and
her husband Jared
Kushner, moving office
in the White House.
Besides, Trump's
numerous U turns, such
as about renegotiating NAFTA (North
America Free Trade Agreement that
Trump had termed as 'disaster' and
blamed for job loss and economic
despair; renewed praise for the
Chinese President Xi—'why would I
call China a currency manipulator
when they are working with on North
Korea? silence on building wall
costing $1 billion to eliminate
immigration from Mexico; bombing
of Syria and Afghanistan; talking
tough with Russia, and not withdrawing Obama-imposed
economic sanctions against Moscow.
The list is getting longer by the
day. Going by the White House's
deeds and misdeeds, the innate
impression one gets is that bad days
for the American people and the
world are not far off. In fact,
beginning with day one of the Trump
administration, January 21, 2017, the
nation has witnessed everyday
nothing but brand new upheavals
skewing citizens' daily life -- be it
repealing or replacing Obama's
signature healthcare law; snub
received from FBI chief James B.
Comey casting aspersions on Obama's alleged wiretapping Trump
Tower;banning entry of sevenMuslim
countries' citizens into the US —since
stayed by several state and the
federal courts; Trump's choice of
cabinet members who had to quit
within days of appointment, e.g.,
Michael Flynn, and troubled
continuance of chief strategist
Stephen Bannon who ran into ugly
arguments with Trump's son-in-law
Jared Kushner; clouded departures of campaign manager Paul Manafort,
and campaign adviser Carter Page for
their alleged suspicious contacts with
Russia; and, White House press
secretary Sean Spicer believed to be
on the firing list for his'disastrous
news conference' referring to Adolf
Hitler.
However,there have beenfar more
seriousandclumsy, less than dignified
moves and commentsby the Trump
regime's dealings with Russia on the
Syrian imbroglio;bitterly bickering
issues with China on the South China
Sea conundrum. North Korea's crazy
missile attack threats on the US, and
its failed missile launches--reportedly
US computermanipulated,
have further
deepened US involvement
in global affairs.
Meanwhile, America's
tomahawks strike on
Syrian rebels for chemical
attack the local
population;dropping of
Massive Ordnance Air Blast
Bomb --'mother of nonatomic
bombs'--on ISIS
tunnels in Afghanistan, are
bound to further
deteriorate ties with
both these nations. The
act was deemed to be 'violation' of
Afghanistan's sovereignty. And,
Russia's stern warning of grave
results if Washington repeated such
strikes.Remember, President Obama
had studiously avoided invading
Syria due to Russians'massive
objectionsagainst Moscow ally.
Besides, Trump's military actions in
Syria and Afghanistan within his first
100 days' regime pronouncedly belie
his sworn poll promises that America
should not be the world's policeman, and that he will stick to his affirmed
pledge of 'America First.'
Despite his big-mouth boasts for
effecting essential legislative
reforms, the Trump White House has
not had any top-notch achievements
to brag about to-date. Also, Trump
had to contend with a humiliating
defeat in Congress for his repeated
desperate attempts to 'repeal and
replace' the Obama healthcare law; a
flurry of his Executive Orders – some,
includingthe ban on Muslimentry,
stayed by several state and federal
courts. He also has not progressed to
fulfill his much touted promise of
raising a wall to stop illegal
immigration from Mexico though
over $1 billion has been provided for
it in the next year's proposed federal
budget. Several Obama-era
technology policies that have been
'scaled back' include: programme on
internet subsidies, probe into
companies' phone data plans, and
scrapping of broadband funding for
schools. A marked US withdrawal
from the Global Climate Change
agreement has not been well received by other signatories.All
these steps are certain to have
significant multi-pronged adverse
impact on the US image abroad.
Sadly, a quickly shifting emphasis has
been a pronounced hallmark of
President Trump's foreign policy, particularly during March-April.
Now that the Trump
White House has taken
deep roots, the future is
bound to unfold more
controversies, bare
greater domestic and
international events will
certainly drive the Oval
Office's excessive
participation in the
unchartered areas.
Meanwhile, federal government's
shutdown hangs like the Democles
swordunless the $300-billion federal
budget for the next financial year not
approved. Though President Trump has just completed the eventful 100
days of his first four-year term, he
has already started preparing and
collecting money to contest the 2021-
2024 term election. In fact, nearly
$20 million has been deposited in the
kitty by his Republican Party
supporters.
Now that the Trump White House
has taken deep roots, the future is
bound to unfold more controversies,
bare greater domestic and
international events will certainly
drive the Oval Office's excessive
participation in the unchartered
areas. For, it's hard to believe Trump
will not jump into any fray. Basically,
Trump is publicity hungry and
personality conscious—what- ever it
takes.
Finally, though so far the US has
not taken on any issue with India,
defence secretary H. R. McMaster,
during his recent visit to New Delhi,
did touch upon certain issues of
mutual strategic interest that may
come up for detailed discussion
when Prime Minister Narendra Modi
visits Washington in the near future.