Disturbing events/sentiments in the US

It has only been two weeks that Trump has been in office as US president and his pronouncements, initiatives, and executive orders are disturbing, roiling, and destabilizing the government bureaucracy, the economy, and American society. These also have/had repercussions and effects on many countries in the world and in the international order.

Some and most prominent of these actions are: the blanket pardon of all the January 6 convicted rioters, firing/termination of all FBI/Justice Department personnel that had to do with the investigations of Trump’s NYC financial conviction and the Mar a Lago documents indictment, withdrawing the security detail of Gen. Miley, Dr. Fauci, his ex-employees Pompeo and Bolton who were all critical of him, and high-profile arrest and deportations of illegal aliens.

Simultaneously and consequently in a matter of days, he announced the cancellation of birthright citizenship of foreigners born in the US, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, getting back Panama Canal, acquiring Greenland, coercing Jordan and Syria to relocate the Palestinians in their countries, and imposing 10% to 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China starting of Feb. 1, 2025. Then, a few days ago Trump suspended funding for several Federal programs related to food support and service assistance to poverty/marginalized households, which was redefined and deferred after two days as food supplies were spoiling and wasting due to lack of personnel. And these are just some of the uncoordinated, unintegrated, lacking-in-analysis actions of the Trump administration in two weeks.

The immediate impact of all these actions is on the livelihood and way of life of those directly affected as to employment and income. Then, the well-being/anxiety of those dependent on the federally-funded social programs, the families of those deported undocumented aliens, and the life threats to the safety of the perceived enemies of Trump. On the US economy, the tariffs and lack of manpower are likely to spike inflation after a lag of three months. The lack of migrant workers could also increase the cost of production of agricultural products, some manufactured goods, and cost of services. There are some jobs that are not acceptable to Anglo-Saxon Americans and are predominantly done by immigrants.

Depending on how the higher tariffs are implemented and the overall effects on the supply chain; oil, gas, and other fuel cost may rise as Canada and Mexico is a net energy suppliers to the world, while China is a net importer. For sure, there will be an overall repricing of many products that are traded all over the world, especially if there are retaliatory tariffs and other sanctions done by the affected countries.

In global geopolitics, the broad effect of trumps actions is the loss of prestige and stature of the US. While retaining its superpower status, it is now perceived as a bully that reneges its partnerships and alliances with other countries. Trump’s US first stance has made it a less-dependable ally and partner, losing its moral high ground as the bastion of democracy, justice, equality and truth. It is no longer the America that is the refuge of the oppressed, the poor and the downtrodden. It has lost the Statue of Liberty.

Maybe the benign stunned reactions of the American people are just the initial shock from the blitzkrieg actions of Trump and his extremist allies, or have the sentiments of majority of the Americans have really shifted far right? The recent pushback and counterattack on some of Trump’s actions are good signs, especially questioning the legality of his executive orders on citizenship, immigration, firing employees, and defunding federal programs. The opposition to some of his Cabinet appointments that needs congressional approval are also holding the line, and so are public opinions against the lowering the guardrails on disinformation/misinformation of the Trump extremist constituency. The recent statement of Congress Minority leader Jeffries that they will fight Trump’s orders, in the Congress, in the courts, and in the streets, is the call to actions for the Americans to preserve their way of life and their lives.

There is the joke that Trump has abolished/reduced/violated so many laws that he even reduced the Ten Commandments to six. He abolished lying, cheating, stealing, and adultery.

Trump actually wants to be a dictator, in the likes of Putin, Xi Jingping, and many other autocrats in some countries. So, he is testing the limits of what the majority of the Americans will tolerate/accept with his election and his rightist constituency.