A million dollar question indeed and it is now being asked in the corridors of power all over the world. As predicted by the world at large, a manifest party-line vote saw Donald Trump steer out of trouble in the impeachment fiasco. The Democrats did not have a stock of lethal arsenals to win the battle, and the resulting acquittal, as feared by political opponents, only emboldened Trump further. His tone changed and his body language changed soon after. His message of launching a counter-offensive became conspicuous when he refused to shake hands with Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the United States House of Representatives) before beginning his State of the Union speech. It was the message he sent to the opposition camp to their utter dismay. And he went to the podium for his State of the Union address pompously talking about the success stories of the last four years. In silent retaliation, Pelosi tore up the written speech of Donald Trump right on camera, thus drawing media attention on her. It is only natural that she has to answer for her action in a series of media interviews that came in the wake.
Lately, he expressed his displeasure at the news of a South Korean cinema bagging Oscar at the best film category. Instead of congratulating the director he
said that US was having trouble with South Korea in business deals so how could their film get an Oscar! This no doubt raised a few
eyebrows in the tinsel towns across the globe. He surely wanted an American film to win the Oscar
and help him “Make America
Great Again.”
The phantom of Russia meddling in US election once again surfaces well ahead of the next election. This reminds this writer of a great Hollywood cinema named “The Russians are coming” made in the late 60s’.
Though Russia is still far away physically from the White House, heads have started to roll already on account of its ominous shadow darkening US politics. His latest victim in administration is the intelligence chief Joseph Maguire, who according to Trump, had briefed lawmakers in a classified security briefing about possible Russian interference in the 2020 election campaign. The intel report obviously pointed fingers at the Russian interference in the US election in 2016 and possible repetition of the same in the upcoming election. The news concerning possible Russian interference in 2020 election was first published by the New York Times and The Washington Post and it had infuriated Donald Trump. The intel chief had to pay the price!
Nothing could be done about the 2016 Russian interference and Trump got away with all the accusations leveled against him. In the last four years many more charges of un-president like behavior and actions were brought against him. But he brushed everything aside by sticking to his iconic statement “Fake News.”
Trump’s ability to come out unscathed from various types of storms reminds one of the ancient adage, ‘a cat has nine lives!’ One wonders how many lives Trump has to survive in the catacomb of Washington politics.
The literati around the world now wait to see what would transpire in the upcoming US presidential election. The question, will he come back?...haunts many in the Democratic camp in their worst nightmares.
It is obvious that a highly charged up trump will leave no stone unturned to win for the second term, no matter how much the Democrats want to see his back for ever. Many Trump supporters hold the view that he will beat any Democrat candidate hollow as there is none in the market with the magnetism required to draw crowds in large numbers. They feel strongly that Bernie Sanders will stand no chance to win in 2020.
The American intelligentsia tolerated the rule of Trump for the last four years, grudgingly most of the time. The opposition and the media at large feel that the president has grossly abused his power at home and flouted many international laws, allegedly taking the country to the lowest ebb of respectability in the eyes of the world community. But Trump always stood his ground and justified his actions in his own way.
Political analysts explain Trump’s visit to India in the midst of India’s internal crises as an attempt to boost up his own rating at home as well as make Russia happy as it is an ally of India. There is not much for the US to gain economically from the India visit at this time.
Indian media write that the rumored trade deal is not likely to be signed with India during his visit to the country.
However, Washington says that the US president will raise the issue of religious freedom with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit as the US has great respect for India's democratic traditions and institutions and will continue to encourage it to uphold those values. But analysts want to find more substance in his visit as they question why he has to travel half the world to say those things! One twitter message would have been enough!
On the other hand, the visit of the mighty president on earth will surely boost up the Modi government which is in a bit of a mess at the moment. At least certain areas around Delhi are getting a facelift, slums are getting covered up with walls and flower plants are being planted here and there.
However, the world is waiting to hear some “interesting” quotes and quips from both Trump and Modi in a day or two.
It looks like Donald Trump will come back and rule USA and half the world in his own flamboyant way for the next four years. One cannot just wish him away. At the moment his job approval rating is over 40 and it might increase. Hence, world leaders will have to plan their bi-lateral policy with US keeping Trump in their mind! They will have to ‘learn’ to get along with him in the next 4-year journey.
Shahnoor Wahid is Advisory Editor of Bangladesh Post
