America enters the second age of Trump

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Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world

Donald Trump’s inaugural address eight years ago became known as an “American carnage” speech for its dystopia of rusted factories, poverty and crime most were still there, imbued with a sense of vindication and personal mission born of his extraordinary political comeback the bottom line for supporters and critics alike should be that Trump’s second era promises to be even more consequential and disruptive than the first.

There were moments of grand rhetoric as Trump recalled the achievements of American pioneers, from those who opened up the American West to those who took humanity to the stars. “.

But he also railed against a “radical and corrupt establishment” that had taken power and wealth from citizens, and a government that could not manage “even a simple crisis.” Opponents would fear his promise to end the “weaponization” of the justice system. which he believes was manipulated to target him, would in fact be considered the use of tools of US justice. clear accounts with his enemies. And although there was no question of joining Canada or Capture of Greenlandhis announcement that America would take back the Panama Canal would be unsettling to both allies and adversaries.

Such warnings from the returning Trump have gained strength. Although he was hampered in his first term by his ignorance of Washington politics and the “adults in the room” appointed by his advisers, he became a president of consequence. He reshaped Western attitudes toward China, accelerated the retreat from multilateralism, and empowered right-wing populist parties around the world.

The man who was sworn in on Monday in the Capitol Rotunda, where rioters tried to block the transfer of power to President Joe Biden, is much more powerful this time around cabinet selection is determined by his loyalty. And not only Silicon Valley billionaires, but many corporate leaders are in a hurry kneel before Trump A narrow victory in the popular election is now seen as a change in the political climate.

Moreover, Trump 2.0 has a detailed agenda for governing America and dealing with the rest of the world. and on energy issues, giving him the power to rush into new measures.

Trump has so far refrained from imposing long-awaited tariffs, despite his campaign promises to impose blanket tariffs on global imports and higher tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, are blows to climate action. Some of his other orders are intended to be unprecedented, radical and legally questionable.

There are also many reasons for Americans beyond the Maga base to fear for their democracy. In his farewell speech, Biden rightly warned that the marriage of vast wealth and political influence in Trump’s new framework “oligarchy. . . that Trump and his wife have launched memecoins in the days leading up to his inauguration are emblematic of this shift in interest. Trump’s first term and its end But the checks and balances of American power will be tested like never before.