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President Donald Trump

The amazing and almost incredible has now attained fruition. Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America, after…

President Donald Trump

Donald Trump (Photo: AFP)

The amazing and almost incredible has now attained fruition. Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America, after all. As the quirk of history translates into reality, Friday's inaugural address on Capitol Hill was of course spectacular as far as optics go ~ the stars and stripes banners, the dignitaries and the prescribed rituals of the swearing-in. Beyond the traditional grandstanding, however, it compares poorly with the presentations of the greats among the US Presidents, pre-eminently Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt, and John F Kennedy. True it was bereft of the emotive rhetoric that greeted America and the world eight years ago, but the 45th President has signalled his intent, one that is embedded in his subjective reflections ~ as often as not intemperate ~ on a welter of issues. He has stopped short of spelling out even the contours of a roadmap, but it is fairly obvious that the world’s largest democracy is poised for change… in accord with the lights of President Trump and no other.  At stake are America’s values of unity and continuity. 

The President’s speech was marked by resentment towards and contempt for the conventional, even the system of checks and balances, indeed the hallmark of America’s governance. Unmistakable was the anxiety to play to the gallery ~ “We will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our borders, we will bring back our wealth, and will bring back our dreams”. The fine print is much too obvious; it was a statement against expatriates, against immigration, and border control such as it exists. “We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own,” was an oblique reference to the proposed "Mexico Wall". Though there was no reference to race per se ~ a blot on the Obama dispensation ~ his “America First” variant of nationalism must appear to be nebulous, if not decidedly chauvinistic. The comity of nations is likely to be bamboozled with the novel spin on “nationalism” in the fountainhead of libertarian culture. That culture is showcased in the capital city of Washington DC, which explains his rather scornful reference to the seat of power. The popular response has been immediate, with spirited protests in Washington in parallel with his inaugural. There was much by way of negativism and debunking of democratic values, far too little by way of detail, let alone clarity about how he intends to achieve his objectives, unacceptable in most parts. Close to three months after his election, Mr Trump has not reflected on, let alone scale down, his perceptions. The substance of his inaugural address mirrors his campaign speeches. Presidents have often come into office promising to take the nation on a new path. But if Mr Trump can be believed, his election and his speech signal the biggest shake-up in Washington in living memory.

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