US Elections

Trump II: Full Powers!

atmane tazaghart

More than just an electoral victory, it is a landslide victory that places Donald Trump back at the top of the world. Moreover, it grants him unprecedented powers that no other American president has ever held. On January 20th, the egocentric billionaire, with a personality as colorful as his famous orange hair, will not only reclaim the keys to the White House. His administration, the 47th of its kind, will also have the support of the majority in both chambers of Congress. It will also count on the backing of the Supreme Court, which he had shaped with conservative appointments at the end of his first term (2017-2021).

This signals a serious “authoritarian shift,” but it will surely not be the end of American democracy, as Nicole Bacharan points out. There will still be some checks and balances, particularly those of the states in relation to the federal administration: “Governors and mayors have extensive powers within their respective jurisdictions.

And even though the worst is never certain, significant turbulence is to be expected. On the national front, unprecedented purges within the federal administration and institutions could occur as soon as Trump II takes power. Serious threats will also loom over civil rights and the rights of minorities. On the international stage, there will be an isolationist trend -rejecting the role of “world policeman” that the world’s superpower is often expected to play

Which might seem like good news for world peace. Except that it comes at the worst possible time: as Western democracies are being challenged and threatened by the resurrected “old empires” (Russian, Persian, Ottoman, Chinese) revived by new Eastern neo-autocrats

And topping off this poisoned cake, a wild billionaire, Elon Musk, who is preparing to play the “Scarface” role under the new occupant of the White House. And some are even dreaming (or having nightmares) of him succeeding his idol in four years!