Trump’s tricks
Outgoing US President Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat despite his rival Joe Biden having clinched enough states to give him a very comfortable majority of the electoral college votes even before the remaining votes are finally counted. Instead, he has embarked on a stubborn strategy of challenging the almost universal conclusion that he has lost. Amongst the actions the seemingly petulant Trump plans are public rallies to support the legal challenges he intends to launch on the basis of unsubstantiated claims that the election was not fair and he has not lost it (at least yet). While going against the traditions of democracy and the US’s culture of losing gracefully, Trump is living up to his reputation of being a mean, petty and revengeful person. It seems he intends to use the time remaining till his final departure on January 20, 2021 to wreak vengeance at home and abroad. Domestically, the first victim of Trump’s belated wrath is Defence Secretary Mark Esper, the fourth defence secretary in Trump’s four year tenure. This action smacks of Trump settling scores within his own administration. Trump and Esper fell out publicly over the former’s desire to use the military against protests launched throughout the country against the police killing of black man George Floyd in Minneapolis and Esper’s stalling on Trump’s desire for a rapid withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. Trump named Christopher Miller, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, as acting secretary of defence, although it is highly unlikely the Senate will confirm him or any other nomination by Trump in his twilight days. Informed US observers have termed Trump’s action ‘childish, reckless’, considering the implications of rendering the defence secretary’s post a lame duck in the middle of global security challenges. Trump has also departed from the tradition of easing the transition of power to the new president. For all intents and purposes, the transition is on hold. Voices of dissent at this churlish behaviour are beginning to be heard from within Trump’s inner circle, including his wife Melania (who reportedly has a keen interest in Trump leaving office soon so that she can divorce him) and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Many amongst this circle believe Trump’s slipshod legal challenges will peter out without evidence. None, however, believe he will refuse to leave office in January 2021, which could trigger a constitutional crisis. Nevertheless, Trump’s obstructionism in the face of the truth that he has lost and his vengeful parting kicks to former colleagues cannot but leave a bitter taste in their wake.
Internationally, there are reports Trump intends to sabotage Biden’s commitment to re-engagement with Iran and a return to the 2015 nuclear deal by imposing fresh and even more stringent sanctions on Tehran. Biden will have his task cut out for him to reverse Trump’s extremist actions that have damaged the US’s international credibility. Russia and China have adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude on congratulating Biden on his victory, citing the continuing Trump challenges, legal, political and administrative. Both at home and abroad, Trump seems bent upon setting a new and unprecedented example of a president erecting hurdles for his successor. No wonder the American people and states, friendly and unfriendly, seem to be heaving a deep collective sigh of relief at the departure of Trump. Unfortunately, the news does not seem to have arrived for Trump, or perhaps he thinks playing a ‘spoiler’s’ role at the end will give him the place in history that his four year incumbency certainly will not, except perhaps as a negative footnote.
No comments:
Post a Comment