EDITORIAL: Marking his triumphant return into power as the world watched on with trepidation, Donald Trump’s inaugural address as president was, as expected, characterised by his signature dramatic declarations and hyperbole, promising a radical shake-up of the global order and reiterating his commitment to “put America first”.
Staying true to his nationalist credentials, he veered from the ridiculous – promising to rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America – to threatening and divisive – declaring his aggressive anti-immigrant agenda in no uncertain terms.
The slew of executive orders that followed the speech aligned closely with Trump’s campaign agenda that had portrayed him as a strong leader uniquely capable of extricating the US from the malaise that many Americans believed had gripped their country for years. This America First agenda has left much of the world, including longstanding Western allies, on tenterhooks.
Trump’s combative rhetoric and willingness to challenge established global norms captures the mood of large segments of the American public who believe that the US has shouldered global responsibilities without sufficient reward, and that it should no longer bear the cost of global leadership.
Whether this aggressive, isolationist stance — potentially willing to disregard democratic principles or even the sovereignty of other nations — will fulfil Trump’s promises to his supporters remains uncertain.
Two of the more concerning aspects of Trump’s America First programme are his threats to impose potentially damaging tariffs on the US’s major trading partners, including China, Canada and Mexico, and his belief that all illegal immigrants should be removed from the country, with legal migration also restricted. This agenda, however, appears poorly thought out.
The MAGA crowd ignores that a huge section of around 11 million illegal immigrants living in the US remains crucial to sectors like agriculture and construction, and their absence would create significant labour shortages that the local population will not be able or willing to fill. This could lead to a slowdown in key sectors of the American economy.
What is also being ignored is that the American economy has long relied on being the largest consumer of goods worldwide, which results in it persistently facing an adverse balance of trade with many countries. However, weaning away from this economic model in the manner Trump advocates would likely lead to prolonged tariff wars with America’s trading partners, who would impose retaliatory tariffs.
It remains unclear whether the new administration fully understands the economic impact of tariffs, which could raise prices for American consumers and disrupt industries reliant on imports from Canada, China and Mexico.
It is pertinent to note, however, that some of the more extreme measures Trump had threatened have yet to materialise in the executive orders issued so far. No tariff war has been launched just yet although there are signals that those actions may be forthcoming.
While a national emergency has been declared at the southern US border to combat illegal migration, the implementation of the announced immigration actions remains unclear due to expected legal and logistical challenges, including for the order that ends birthright citizenship for children of illegal migrants.
Notably, as yet there has not been any order mandating mass deportations of illegal immigrants although pathways for prospective legal migrants, refugees and asylum seekers have become more complicated.
Disturbingly, the US has now exited the World Health Organisation as well as the Paris climate accord, while orders have been passed to boost oil and gas production, and roll back environmental protections. This is bound to have disastrous implications for global climate policies, undermining collective efforts to address climate change.
The world must now brace itself for increased uncertainty in global partnerships, as the unpredictable and divisive Trump presidency challenges international cooperation, potentially disrupting alliances and reshaping global power dynamics.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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