The Swaggering Trump

Someone described Donald Trump as full of swagger and he certainly is. It is very early in his presidency, and it is difficult to know what he is about, apart from being out to satisfy his billionaire friends. When the US sneezes as its president is doing now, some also sneeze too, but many of us catch or will catch a cold. So, we always have to be on our guard. A colleague of mine keeps reminding me that Trump is not doing anything that many presidents have not done before, or at least tried to do. But there is some difference.

Advances in technology brings his words and actions immediately before us. He does not operate in the dark. He said before about the many actions he was going to take. Many didn’t take him seriously. In fact, it was believed that the guardrails will hold him in check. Many of the things he is doing or is attempting to do are unconstitutional and many legal challenges have begun. They have to deal with Trump appointed Justices in many of the Courts and even in the Supreme Court, the highest Court in the land. There is no indication that Trump understands the constitution although clearly, he doesn’t want to be guided by it. But the big question is, what drives him? He likes powerful leaders. Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Vladimir Putin. He seems a bit uncertain about Xi Jinping, China being American’s biggest competitor. It might be too that Elon Musk who has close ties with China is restraining him.

He went off the blocks very early with tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico. He has paused with the tariffs on his two closest neighbours. He has indicated his intention to withdraw from the WHO. There is an Executive Order to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council because of what he considers its “deep anti-American bias”. The unelected Elon Musk was given unprecedented access to the Federal Systems. The FBI had been asked to turn over details of the 5,000 employees who worked on the January 6 cases. Among the most startling of his early pronouncements is his desire to make the US the owner of the Gaza strip. Failing that he is not prepared to put US money into rebuilding Gaza. The Department of Government Efficiency, created by Executive Oder on January 25 is under the leadership of Elon Musk. Employees of that department have been reported to have entered Federal Buildings to carry out promises made about government efficiency during the presidential campaign. We cannot forget the presidential pardon given to persons imprisoned over their involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection that killed police officers. So much has happened in two weeks that have baffled the mind!

I really started out wanting to write a different kind of article but could not help touching on some of the things Donald Trump had high on his agenda. Another few weeks will give us a clearer understanding of what he is really made of. My interest in the Donald Trump presidency given his boisterous approach is how America will fight back. It is still early, for Trump might be seeing with what he can get away and if the guardrails will stand. He has already held the Republican Congress members captive, ensuring that they go along with his appointees to head sections of the Federal Department, many of whom are not only inexperienced but totally unqualified. They owe their positions to being apologists for Donald Trump, ready at any time to do his bidding. It is still early, and we will see of what stuff is America made. The whole world is looking on, none more so than the Palestinians who had lived at Gaza, and the people of Ukraine. If Trump gets away with his tariffs, inflation will become an even bigger factor. Caribbean countries are watching carefully at the numbers of their citizens who might be deported, adding to the ranks of the unemployed and fear of possible impact on criminal activity.

• Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian