New US Administration: Challenges in Domestic and Foreign Policies

By: Abdolreza Ghofrani, Senior International Expert

Over the next three weeks Donald G. Trump officially assumes his duties as 45th US President. There are already problems in domestic and foreign policies in which the president –elect himself needs to be partly accounted for.

The new administration certainly will painstakingly grapple with these problems through the prime months or even the first year of its office.

Moreover the new figures in the administration, including the president-elect, have no experience in domestic and foreign policies or they are among the hardliners (military people), and certainly these if do not complicate the problems, perhaps will not shortly resolve them.

Mr.Trump in his 18 months of aggressive and controversial presidential campaign uttered promises and used languages that just caused confusion and mistrust for international political and economic conditions over the months and even the years to come.

Certainly rebuilding the confidence depends merely on Mr. Trump (who is highly unpredictable) approaches through the next couple of years.

United Nations Security Council last week adopted (in which US abstained for the first time) a resolution urging Israel to halt making settlements in Palestinian occupied lands. This enraged and confused Israel and caused Prime Minister Netanyahu concern and tough reaction.

Netanyahu as usual declared that his government would not execute the resolution and wait for Mr. Trump to take office. It is however worthy to note that the unpredictability of new president may be the real reason for Israeli harsh reaction and concern.

Besides, because Netanyahu may be domestically subject to criminal acts such as bribery and fraud, so it is possible that he will not be in strong position even if United States continues its support of Israel which is not unlikely. Moreover United Nations Security Council has adopted an anti-Israel resolution and Mr. Trump has so far taken a hostile position to the world body, hence the Israelis as well as new president may not be faced with a friendly UN, which represent the world public opinion.

Another Mr. Trump’s challenge is Russia and its allegedly possible Moscow’s hacking of last November presidential election. Now it is quite well known that half of the voters were not for Trump and moreover his democrat rival did have more direct votes.

Though it has not been proved that Russia has hacked US election in favor of Trump, it certainly has created mistrust in American public opinion and opposing groups and folks; particularly now that purportedly the endanger of national security of the United Sates is at stake and time and again discussed in all walks of life.

President Vladimir Putin has said that he would not engage in tit-for-tat row with US over the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats for espionage. It seems the Russian President, just like Netanyahu, is hopeful for assuming power by Trump in January.

However, it is worthy to note that there is an anti-Russian sentiment not only in the American people but in the Senate and particularly Republicans. Republican senators have even supported President Obama decisions in regard of Russia.

Now the powerful senate members are discussing the sanctions on Moscow and even stronger than those of outgoing presidents’. Some of these law makers have criticized Obama as to why he has not imposed those sanctions through his years in office. So even if Donald Trump can mend the relations with Russia, certainly dealing with Senate is not easy job for him.

At the meantime we have not to lose sight of the fact that Trump’s positions and words about Europeans ‘allies have made them to have their doubts and the recent developments in  American –Russian relations may  have deepened their misgivings.

By and large the future, just like Trump himself, is pretty unpredictable, and as mentioned before everything depends on new president approaches and policies. So it is probable to resolve these challenges, as he has done several times before, Donald Trump changes his mind and make a full turnaround.

fair to share...