The 2016 presidential campaign has been like none in the history of the
United States. Donald J. Trump, a non-politician, talking politically incorrect
(uttering words that no politician would dare to speak in public), spending
a fraction of what his opponent spent on the campaign (in fact, a lot of his own
money), being at the receiving end of mockery of a majority of dishonest media,
being ridiculed by foreign leaders and stand-up comedians alike, deserted by
his own party leaders, and mocked by the sitting president, showed to the world
that he could still prevail in the historic election. Trump’s deft handling of his campaign and holding rallies at just the right
places and at right times show that he is indeed smarter than the current breed
of stupid politicians
in Washington, DC. The media pundits, who universally predicted that Trump had
no chance against the seasoned and well financed politician, former Secretary
of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, will now earn their paychecks by trolling
their theories about how Trump did it and writing books about it. The dishonest media
would now have another chore to undertake – criticizing everything that
President Trump does – and, again, against all odds, Trump will deliver on his
promises. That’s the kind of man he is – he is strong willed, determined,
energized (how many politicians can hold six rallies in six different cities in
a single day crisscrossing the country?), and very focused on what he wants to
do. Trump is like a swimmer who dives right into the wave to get past it rather
than tries to duck it. The media
is underestimating Trump’s potential as one of the strongest leaders of the
free world in recent memory.
Brexit started the wave of nationalism in Europe, which quickly hit the
shores of the U.S.; Trump seized the moment and adopted the core principle of America First (“Brexit paves the
way for Trump to win the presidency,” The Moondra Post,
June 24, 2016) in propelling his candidacy through the Republican primaries, in
which he knocked out sixteen other candidates many of whom were accomplished
career politicians with tons of campaign money.
President Trump is unlikely to waste any time. Given that Trump’s party
controls both House of Representatives and Senate, he is expected to move
quickly on several fronts:
·
Trump will appoint a conservative to fill the vacant seat on the U.S.
Supreme Court and solidify the slate of conservatives on the bench.
·
Trump will repeal Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and replace it with a
better plan which will bring down health care premiums by fostering
competition across state borders.
·
Trump will cancel many of President Barack Obama’s Executive Orders,
especially those related to climate change that put an extraordinary burden on
American companies.
·
Trump may appoint a cabinet-level person to weed through countless new regulations
created during the Obama presidency and drop many of them to make it easier for
businesses to operate, especially in the energy area. Reduced regulations will enormously help small businesses.
·
With the help of Democrats, Trump is expected to move quickly on ambitious
infrastructure projects to repair roads, bridges, etc.
·
Trump will waste no time in making the necessary investments to modernize
the military.
·
Trump will finally get tax reforms done that have been languishing for
years, even though both Obama and Congressmen expressed interest in them.
·
Trump is likely to appoint someone as an Inner City Czar and
charge him or her to come up with a plan to revitalize crumbling metro areas and
create job opportunities for minority youths that are involved in destructive
gangs and violent crime.
·
Trump will immediately deport illegal immigrants who have criminal
record. While he may not actually build a wall on the southern border, he may
use that as a threat to get more cooperation from Mexico to stop illegal
immigration and drug trafficking across the border. Trump will certainly
increase border patrol and surveillance.
Given
so much to do at home, Trump may be slow in moving on foreign policy issues. The following actions are likely:
·
Trump may work with the Congress to cancel the Iran nuclear deal and
strengthen sanctions on Iran.
·
Trump will take a tough stance on terrorism and suspend financial and
military aid to countries that breed terrorism such as Pakistan.
·
Trump will open dialogue with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, but will
move cautiously. Trump is likely to demand that Russia give back Crimea to
Ukraine and guarantee non-interference in neighboring countries in exchange
for accommodation on the deployment of defensive missile shield in Europe.
Trump will convince Putin to focus more on mutually beneficial trade and
commercial interests. They might also agree to act together against ISIS.
·
Trump is unlikely to engage in regime changes in the Middle-East, but
rather focus on incentives for economic development as a way to induce Israel
and Palestinians to resolve their territorial disagreements and bring about the long
overdue two-state solution.
·
Trump will put the issue of NATO relevance on the back burner, but will
insist that NATO partners pay their fair share of costs.
·
Trump will renegotiate NAFTA
and pull out of TPP. He will focus more on bi-lateral trade deals rather than
seek global deals (one size doesn't fit all). He will find ways to
encourage corporations to keep manufacturing in the U.S. rather than move
abroad.
Given that Trump is an
impatient man and someone who thrives on resolving issues, he will be
relentless in solving nation’s problems. If Congress works with him and
together they begin to solve problems, the approval rating of Congress will
finally break out of decade-old single digit range. Trump has a tremendous
opportunity to work on multiple issues and get them done very efficiently, just
as he has done during the presidential campaign. The media could also play a constructive role and help Trump achieve the full potential of his presidency which is to Make America Great Again.
