Real Donald Trump, Please Return and Fast

The Real Donald Trump once again needs to assert himself, an eventuality which would be welcome to the alliance of democracies against extremism and expansionism.

- M.D. NALAPAT

Out of the blue, the President of the US, who as Commander-in-Chief directs policy, swerved off course and moved in a direction opposed to the interests of the United States, the country he has been elected by its voters to safeguard.

As a consequence, the US, initially set on the correct trajectory by the President, is moving into a course containing risks for the entire global community. While China may seem like the gainer from such a curveball, the reality is that the very unpredictability of policy set by Trump denies the CCP the necessity of a stable environment—what may be called the job lost to other countries because of the manufacturing capacity of China.

However, Xi does not know for how long the good times that have suddenly shone on him will endure, making longer-term planning risky. President Trump may self-correct anytime, reimposing the tariffs and restrictions needed to prevent China under the CCP from gobbling up technology and jobs from the US, in the process making investments already made within China and in Chinese cutout companies (where Chinese components get assembled to create "Made in Mexico" or "Made in Cambodia" products in locations such as Mexico and Cambodia) unviable.

Where kinetic activity is concerned, letting go of the "Pause" button in a manner sufficient to satisfy the political needs of CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping would invite immediate reaction, not least within the MAGA base of Donald Trump that forms the bedrock of his hold over the Republican Party and by extension, over both the US House of Representatives and Senate.

This would be a disaster for Trump as approval from both is needed in order to actualise much of high policy. Thus far, the changes sought to be made by what may be called the Unreal Donald Trump have largely remained confined to social media posts.