A new era in American and global politics is upon us. Donald John Trump has been sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.
Along a rainy Pennsylvania Avenue lined with stars and stripes flags and phalanxes of saluting military personnel, the long black armoured limousine carrying President Trump snaked its way yesterday from the Capitol to the White House.
In many respects it was all very familiar, a presidential Inauguration Day little different to those over the years that have preceded it. That though was where the similarity ends, for this was an Inauguration Day unlike any other in US history.
Against the backdrop of ceremony and celebration, President Trump takes over his country’s highest office amidst almost unprecedented rancour and disquiet.
While many Americans see their nation’s new leader as a welcome respite from the rule of political elites, others regard him as an abomination that has already brought shame and disharmony.
The peaceful transition of power in Washington that was witnessed around the world yesterday speaks volumes about the proud values and history of the US.
Traditionally, out of respect for their democratic system, Americans stand and salute their country’s new presidents, regardless of party.
Many yesterday though refrained from following such a venerable custom. To them President Trump is a man who ran for office on a campaign of division, hate and disrespect. They point rightly to the fact that at times he showed contempt for those who contributed to their country’s growth and security, and frequently displayed appalling levels of ignorance.
Given such bitterness, what now lies ahead will be a test not just for the new president but also for the American people themselves.
“A nation exists to serve it citizens,” President Trump insisted yesterday. Time and again in his speech, he stressed how his election meant giving America back to its people.
“When we are united, America is unstoppable,” he told a muted crowd who listened to his lacklustre delivery. Without the opportunity to bluster and threaten as he did on the campaign hustings, the new president already looked like a man out of his comfort zone and depth.
The problem for President Trump is that the US right now is about as far from united as it has ever been in modern times. While he talks of a “new national pride” that will raise America’s sights and “heal our divisions,” there is precious little evidence that his administration will be the one to foster such collective feeling or wellbeing.
Those who continue to see his presidency as a threat will argue that if there are shared interests as a nation, then they should focus now on efforts to stop President Trump from damaging the country more than he already has.
If yesterday’s inauguration is a pivotal moment in America’s fortunes, then the hope must be is that it acts as a trigger to political changes that will make for a better America and its place in the world long term.
As the US political journalist and commentator David Rothkopf summed up Trump’s inauguration yesterday: “We must treat this day differently because of who he is and who he is not, because of what he stands for and where he will leave us when he is gone”.
The pomp and ceremony over, President Trump must now get down to the daunting realpolitik of what it means to be leader of the US. Already the early signs are not good.
“Now arrives the hour of action,” he told Americans yesterday, but if reports coming out of Washington’s corridors of power are accurate then the new administration’s transition team has been characterised by inaction.
Far from hitting the ground running, the Trump team emerged from the election ill-prepared for the daunting task of assembling a new administration. Right now it has yet to fill an array of crucial top jobs overseeing the country’s national security and diplomacy.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” one career government official speaking of the disarray, told the respected and influential Foreign Policy magazine earlier this week.
As Donald Trump steps into the White House, senior positions still to be filled include management and policy posts that oversee diplomacy, military budgets, nuclear weapons, counter-terrorism and media relations among others.
Without his team in place, President Trump will likely be unprepared should an early-term crisis erupt abroad, or an adversary test the new administration’s mettle.
This does not bode well and is a far cry from the image of organisational man of action President Trump would have Americans and the world believe he is.
The rain falling is a sign of God’s blessing, the Reverend Franklin Graham told President Trump yesterday after he wound up his speech and the weather deteriorated.
Many Americans will choose to disagree. The political weather in Washington is almost certain to become a lot more inclement in the weeks, months and years ahead.
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