The year has ended and all fears about being in midst of World War III have proved untrue
Many people were horrified when Donald J Trump stood on the steps of the US Congress this past January and took oath to become the 45th President of the US — some even refused to accept the results of the US Presidential Election — but the fact remains that Donald Trump won fair and square even if the style and format of the US Presidential Election is a rather twisted form of democracy. The American media, particularly those television channels and newspapers, that terms themselves bastions of liberalism, failed. The fact is that modern America is possibly more ideologically divided than modern India and Trump is not the cause of this divide. Rather he is an effect of the divide even if some have you believe otherwise. Has Trump’s first year in office been the foreign policy disaster that many thought it to beIJ Rex Tillerson, former Chief Executive of Exxon-Mobil, remains the Secretary of State, yet Trump’s policy of announcing major decisions over Twitter seems to have exasperated Tillerson, particularly with Trump’s policy regarding North Korea and Kim Jong-Un, with the US President referring to the North Korean dictator as Rocketman. However, as much as many rue Donald Trump’s use of Twitter, one has to admit that he has given the platform a new lease of life. Indeed, Donald Trump’s ascension to power has given a new lease of life to several media organisations as well, most notably The New York Times and CNN, both of which have withstood withering attacks by Trump. Yet, Trump himself has been seemingly immune to attacks by those who detest him. Indeed, attacks on Trump only seem to strengthen his base. And much like in India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, those pitched against Trump do not understand the core of his likeability, that is with the base and dismiss Trump’s base as ‘deplorables’ as Hillary Clinton did much to her electoral cost. But Trump faces elections himself later in 2018 with the US mid-term elections and some are predicting that because of Trump, his Republican Party could lose control of both Houses of the United States Congress. But then again, not a single established poll or pundit expected Trump to win the election either such was their reading of Trump’s core support. The US’ relationship with India under Trump has improved, which might not have been the case under Hillary Clinton. TheTrump Administration wants to use India as a bulwark against China and the use of the term Indo-Pacific and the United States’ lead in forming an alliance of itself, India, Japan and Australia is something for India to welcome. However, the Trump Administration has dithered over Pakistan and needs to chop the head of the terror snake because only it can force Pakistan to mend their ways. On the whole, the year of Trump has not been as bad as many would have you believe.