Although it’s just little over 10 days that Donald J Trump
occupied the most powerful office, he is rattling the World. As the 45th
President of United States, Donald Trump in his inaugural address made an
uncharacteristic reference to an “America Carnage” and expounded a dystopian
view of the country. His belligerent, mocking and triumphalist message devoid
of finesse and niceties had taken Americans by surprise. Remarking it as a
protracted election rhetoric, analysts failed to read Trump’s next moves. To
begin with, Trump’s obnoxious loose talks failed to rekindle interest in
intelligentsia. The media miffed by his outrageous comments conflagrated his
controversies. They had completely written off the possibility of a Trump’s
victory and never bothered to analyze his perspectives. Labeling him as an
“outsider” and political novice, liberal media, and experts surmised that
Trump’s Presidency will be unpredictable. On the contrary, the series of the
executive orders signed by Trump from the time he assumed charge, demolished so
called veiled unpredictability. He signed more number of executive orders than
any President in contemporary times.
An analysis of series of executive orders, Presidential
Proclamations and memoranda signed by Trump clearly testimonies his American
dream. Incidentally, all the executive orders rolled out by Trump were his core
electoral promises. Moments into office he repealed Obama care, expedited
environmental clearance for infrastructure development and declared his
inauguration day to be a “National Day of Patriotic Devotion”. By stroke of
pen, Trump had annihilated legacy of his predecessor- Obama Care and
environmental concerns, the two top most deliverables of Obama. Media came down
heavily on Trump when he pledged to erect a wall to curb entry of illegal
migrants into US. They were even skeptical of Trump’s idea of pulling out the
trade deals like TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and even NAFTA. But he
unapologetically pulled rug under the TPP. Further, he had no qualms in asking
Mexican President not come for a meeting if he is not keen on Mexican wall.
Instead Trump spoke with his Mexican counterpart over phone and issued an
executive order reiterating his commitment for erecting a strong boundary
between the North American countries and directed hiring of 5000 patrol
officers. He fast tracked construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and Dakota
Access pipeline. Earlier, Obama scuttled both these plans following objections
from environmentalists. Trump who was keen on generating American jobs, had no
second thoughts, clearly over rode the criticisms from various agencies.
In the past Seven Decades, America mastered traditional style
of iron fist in velvet gloves kind of diplomacy. Post-World War II America
prevailed over the World with an enticing sweet talk while unceremoniously arm
twisting irritants. Trump literally changed the stakes of game by setting a
template of what can be expected in his presidency. He obliterated the niceties
and subtleties of the international diplomacy and is challenging the World for
a new method of bare-knuckle diplomacy. Disparaging comments or bipartisan
vilification seem to barely detest Trump from carrying out blunt force
diplomacy.
More recently the executive orders calling for “instituting deportation proceedings, to
include any non-citizen not yet charged a crime but who, in the judgement of an
immigration order poses a risk to public safety or national security” and
the most controversial order 13769 “Protecting
the nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into United States” elicited worst
public outrage and earned utter condemnation of dissenters. But Trump
administration refused to give-in. The original order called for suspending the
entry, regardless of valid non-diplomatic visa, of alien nationals from Iraq,
Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen (for at least next 90 days until
the procedure for extreme vetting is in place). Later Department of Homeland
Security offered a small concession by exempting lawful green card holders.
This outlandish halt on the movement of people was immediately branded as
Muslim ban and Trump was severely criticized. Ironically President Obama chose
the list of seven countries included in the list with its roots in visa-waiver
program. Indeed, the complicit Obama government imposed a ban on refugees from
Iraq for six months. Democrat President Bill Clinton in 1997 first pledged to
come down heavily on illegal aliens. He said: “Our nation is rightly disturbed by the large numbers if illegal aliens
entering our country. Illegal immigrants take jobs from the citizens or legal
immigrants, they impose burden on our taxpayers. That is why we are doubling
the number of border guards, deporting more illegal immigrants than ever
before, cracking down on illegal hiring, barring benefits to illegal aliens,
and we will do more to speed the deportation of illegal immigrants’ arrest for
crime”. While earlier Presidents
sowed the seeds, no one belled the cat fearing international censure. Media by
precariously labelling executive order as “Muslim ban” flared up the situation.
It is becoming increasingly clear that Trump is not a kind of
President who would give-in. His audacious adventurism and alacrity in acting
on the promises made to his electorate were top most in his mind. Clearly,
unruffled by dread and dubiety of International community Trump is bent on
acting on the proclamations that catapulted him to the highest position. Unflustered
by public rebuke for delivering on controversial issues, Trump has emerged as a
great disrupter. Things which were once unthinkable like questioning the
relevance of NATO, telling Mexican president that he is not welcome to
Washington if he doesn’t pay for the wall, pulling out of TPP, imposing bans on
immigrant Muslims are now a reality. Trump with his tremendous pace of action
he is effectively incapacitating pillars of American establishment. While the
media threatened dire consequences just before his inauguration, Trump trounced
the relevance of media by communicating directly through twitter handle. He
confused Deep state which was highly hostile towards him by introducing a
panoply of executive orders at rapid pace. Trump rendered the lobbies,
institutions and multilateral bodies supporting globalism ineffective. With his
unyielding protectionist approach and shaping narratives that points all bad
economics of globalization, he is creating fractures in the EU. With far
reaching populist ideas, Trump is steadily winning perception war by
categorically pitching for nationalism i.e., essentially defending nation’s
interests. Clearly put, Trump is threatening to recalibrate the nation’s
narrative by taking refuge in America First doctrine. Alternatively, he is
changing the perceptions of the modern world by driving the most powerful
country to embrace anti-globalization and xenophobia. Fortunately, the
executive orders will be thoroughly vetted by Congress, judiciary before
fructifying into policies. But the precedents set by Trump might undoubtedly
have a serious toll on the US’s role in World order.
With President Trump, all set to sign a new executive order
on overhauling work visas like H1 B and L1, India is precariously poised. H1 B
visas, life line of Indian software industry have been under political scanner
for some time as it was widely believed that outsourcing generated lot of jobs
and prosperity in India at the expense of American jobs. Though the details of
the order aren’t public, it is likely that job prospects for Indians are going
to be hit. Even the duration of extension of optional training work visas might
be cut which may not be a good news for Indian students traveling to US for
higher education. Unlike in previous regimes, lobbying by multinational
companies will not stand a chance. Shares of Indian IT companies fell by 10%
yesterday when media leaked Trump administration’s order on work visas. Till
now, Indian leadership cozied to US administration by asserting strategic partnership
and shared interests and managed to retain strategic autonomy without
committing itself strongly. But negotiating with a highly transactional Trump
administration isn’t going to be a cake walk for Modi. Any amount of diplomacy
may fail to yield results until India reciprocates US substantially. Earlier
India enjoyed little leverage, dillydallied before signing two foundational
agreements, things are going to be rough now. Trump’s outreach to Russia,
altercation with China for allegedly contesting the One China Policy,
belligerence towards Iran, unambiguous position on Afpak are going to have
drastic implications on India.
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