Wildcard Return

Donald Trump has been loved, hated and baited. But he has seldom been ignored. His renewal as US President will see ambition, change and controversy lock horns

- RAJEEV NARAYAN

Donald Trump has been celebrated, loved, hated, mocked... He has even been the butt of ridicule. But he has never been ignored. It will be tougher to do so over the next four years—or to not listen to his words, be they insightful, incisive or brazen—given that he has managed to defy the odds and score a resounding electoral win to book a return to the White House. Next Monday, Trump will be back as US President. And Trump being Trump, he will be in the thick of things.

Trump's has been an arduous march back to the White House, marked by dogged determination and the promise of transformation. The oldest to return to office, his comeback will reignite acrid political battles in a changed world. Of late, American politics has portrayed a riotous landscape, and few figures have been as polarizing as Trump. His journey from real estate mogul to the returning US President is a saga of resilience, tenacity and unwavering self-belief. As Trump re-enters active politics, his narrative will reflect a multifaceted relationship with supporters and detractors alike, intertwining themes of ambition, controversy and transformation.

After four years of virulent absence from power, the former and future President's return to the center stage marks a seismic shift in American politics. Trump's resurgence, punctuated by legal battles, economic unrest and growing populism, signals a drift in the direction of the Republican Party and, potentially, the entire nation. His is a return that has left analysts and pundits grappling with what this means for the future of the United States. And the world.

Always a Defiant Leader