Four years ago, Donald Trump claimed that the election for his re-election had been stolen. He incited his supporters to revolt, and they attacked the most sacred sites in the country. He was charged with various crimes and convicted of some of them. He grumbled, fought, and defiantly posed for the official mugshot with a threatening gaze—not that of a defeated man, but a defiant one. And now, today, he begins what will be his second term as president of the world’s most powerful country.
This time, he returns reinvented, with total control of the Republican Party, which controls the power of Congress and the Senate. To put it simply, he is the absolute master of the country. Joe Biden, the outgoing president, wasn’t entirely crazy, despite his apparent dementia. It must be pointed out that we are entering an era where an oligarch has been born—something that the construction of democracy in this country has always rejected.
Trump 2.0 begins today, but in a different version. More threatening, aiming not just to consolidate power over this country, but over the world. Since he was confirmed as the winner of the election, he has threatened to impose a trade war against Canada, China, and Mexico. And beyond that, against some European countries. Also, recalling ancient times, he seeks to take over territories belonging to other countries—Greenland, owned by Denmark, and the Panama Canal.
For Trump, the most important thing is to triumph in a trade war. He rants against China but is cautious about initiating a formal ‘war’ against the country. He invokes the threat of the Russian bloc, but is careful not to insult Russia. It’s believable that his first days, months, and years will unleash both domestic and international struggles with consequences for the world order.
The country, a whirlwind
Minorities fear the announced attacks. White supremacists, a solid bloc around Trump, are eager to make it clear that these conservative, white, very white sectors will not be as permissive with immigration, policies regarding LGBTQ communities, and controversial issues like abortion.
Last weekend, thousands of Americans marched through the streets of the country protesting the announced policies of the only president in history who will assume the White House with a criminal record identifying him as a felon.
LGBTQ communities fear that the inclusion laws they have worked so hard for will be overturned. Environmental advocates denounce Trump’s environmental policies and fear that their efforts will also be buried, and migrant communities are waiting for the flag that brought him to the presidency to become a reality—the implementation of mass deportation. It is already announced that it will begin in Chicago, the day after he takes office.
Economic sectors dependent on migrant labor are fearful, even desperate. Without those tens of thousands of migrant hands in the fields, industries like livestock and poultry are left in uncertainty.
Mexico, a showdown
Trump has already drawn his line. He wants to stomp on Mexico. He threatens them on all fronts: expulsion of migrants, economic sanctions if they continue to allow the passage of migrants from other countries through their territory, or if they do not take action against the drug cartels and stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has declared that they will not submit to threats. She agrees on cooperation and collaboration but refuses to be Trump’s servants.
The U.S. president did not invite her to his inauguration, signaling that he does not favor her. Formal negotiations will remain just that—negotiations. The “with me or against me” policy is now in place.
How successful will his desire to impose a regime of ‘terror’ be? That remains to be seen. We won’t have to wait long to experience it. In fact, today, fear, caution, and carefulness are sweeping the country and the world.
We will see…
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