Donald Trump will go down in history as one of the most despicable human beings to ever become president of the United States and the most influential president in almost 80 years.
His bald-faced lying and racist divisive tactics need no elaboration. They are experienced daily.
His narrow view of the globe as merely a number of countries competing for business has damaged international efforts at co-operation that grew out of the Second World War.
Global agencies like the World Trade Organization (WTO) that promotes co-operation and reduced trade barriers have been ignored by Trump and his administration.
Instead of supporting the WTO, whose rulings have often prevented U.S. interests from running roughshod over other nations, Trump has chosen to use United States’ clout in trade matters.
His isolation of Iran, his dealings with Europe, his current negotiations with China have placed the world on notice that U.S. trade muscle will be used to promote American interests.
A global trade war is in the making as trade barriers will force countries to move away from international trade dependence to national self-sufficiency.
In his bid to make America great again by driving away imports, Trump has dumped the 75-year old role of world police by the United States.
By doing so, Trump enables the ascent of China as global cop, or the sharing of this role by China, Russia and the U.S.
His insistence on NATO members funding a larger share of defence has de-stabilized NATO and created distrust. Troop policy in the Middle East has given the Russians a geographic foothold in Syria, one that will introduce more instability to this powder keg of clashing cultures.
His approach to business interferes, or tries to interfere, with market-based decisions from factory closures to world oil prices.
Yet his minions in the administration have rewritten all manner of regulations, supposedly to reduce red tape, but with the impact of subverting laws that protect the public, the environment and public lands.
With Trump support, Republican-governed states nip away at medicare. A recent federal court decision overturning work for medicare legislation will probably be decided in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Republicans are no longer fearful of the Supreme Court. Trump’s greatest future domestic influence is his impact on that court. The loss of two Supreme Court justices under the Trump presidency allowed him to stack the court 6 to 5 with right-leaning judges, and end longstanding left leaning judgments.
The Supreme Court appointments are his main domestic legacy that will last another 30 years. And he may have the opportunity to appoint another one or two judges.
The partial exoneration from alleged collusion with Russia came because not enough evidence was available. One can be sure no president would be charged unless caught red-handed.
But that partial exoneration gives Trump a good chance at re-election in 2020 for a second four-year term.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Moose Jaw Today, the Moose Jaw Express, its management, or its subsidiaries.
