Sour honeymoon

The first 100 days of any presidency in the US is watched keenly for the signals it sends to the local and international audience — about the kind of person who has taken over the most powerful office in the world and the kind of leadership he will deliver. On this front, Donald Trump’s presidency has had an underwhelming start. Given the US’s domination of world affairs for close to a century, even amidst talk of a multi-polar world and the rise of China in recent years, the US president’s actions have wide ramifications domestically and internationally. India for instance looked anxiously (but in vain) for signs that the H-1B visas (important for its IT industry) would not be affected. Every constituency and interest group looks for signs that they will prosper and the electorate certainly looks for validation that they chose wisely at the hustings. This is also usually a ‘honeymoon’ period for presidents when the media also exercises considerable forbearance and perhaps even ignores some missteps that are natural when a new administration takes office. With Trump, it has been different — it has been confrontation from Day One, whether it was the media or the Opposition.

Trump’s ratings are the lowest in history for any US president after 100 days in office. Trump came into office without the legitimacy conferred by a win of the popular vote, although he won the necessary electoral college mandate on the back of a bruising and divisive campaign. All political leaders play to the gallery during campaigns but the Trump campaign touched new lows and never quite managed to shake off allegations that the Russians ran interference on its behalf. His administration began with a flurry of executive orders, many of which, like the the so-called ‘Muslim travel ban’ have been partially or largely blocked by the judiciary. His quixotic plan to build a wall to stop illegal immigrants from Mexico is not getting the funding support needed from the US Congress, while his hamhanded attempt at dismantling Obamacare (the affordable medical care plan introduced by his predecessor) has upset even his core constituency of supporters. On the global front, his arbitrary use of military power — strikes against Syria, the dropping of the largest conventional bomb in Afghanistan and nuclear sabre-rattling with North Korea — have served to exacerbate tensions.

In all, there has been little indication that Trump will make either his country or the world a safer place. Whether he will eventually deliver on his core promise — of making America “great again” — remains to be seen.

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