Donald Trump is in the news, but not for the first time. The spotlight had already turned to him even before the start of his second term. Though he had clearly indicated his intention to overturn many of America’s long-standing policies and practices, he was still elected by a significant majority. However, after assuming power and setting out toward his declared goal of "Make America Great Again" (MAGA), the number of enemies he is creating in the process is increasing day by day. Interestingly, Russia's Vladimir Putin who is traditionally seen as a major adversary of the US, no longer seems to be as hostile. At the same time it's also worth noting that Ukraine, which is an enemy of Russia, is not that much of a friend of Trump. An incident that happened last February where Trump publicly insulted Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in front of the media, has gained attention. Many people said that it amounted to turning an ally into an adversary, notably when it was expected to help counter Russia's imperialist incursion. Currently, America's friendly stance toward Ukraine seems primarily driven by a partnership in sharing the country's mineral resources. Among the countries Trump has placed on the opposing side include not just China, Brazil, the European Union, and the UK, but, to some extent, even India. In most cases, this has revolved around the imposition of tariffs. The sudden increase in tariffs which had to be reduced immediately after it was imposed, especially seen in the case of China, backfired. Additionally, court interventions also worked against him.
Trump’s current approach seems to involve avoiding powerful nations for the time being and instead taking a hardline stance against comparatively weaker ones. For instance, during South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the White House, Trump openly accused the country of committing genocide against the white Dutch-dominated minority. The so-called "evidence" he cited was made up of fabricated images—some of which were actually videos of violence that had occurred in Congo at a completely different time. Fortunately, Ramaphosa maintained a dignified silence. After all, South Africa is only a relatively minor power, incapable of striking back effectively. However, what is noteworthy is that Trump will not utter a single word of criticism against Netanyahu’s Israel, which is carrying out what most call genocide against Palestinians right before the eyes of the world.This Trump phenomenon isn’t limited to foreign policy alone. One of the key challenges Trump faces on the domestic front is from the country’s universities. These institutions, expected to serve not only as centres of knowledge production but also as spaces of diverse perspectives and freedom of thought, are anathema to the new right-wing ideology that Trump represents. Most recently, the actions taken against the world-renowned Harvard University have drawn significant attention. The reason for that is the protests and speeches happening on the Harvard campus in support of Palestine and against Israel’s genocide.
What followed were retaliatory measures. The administration ordered the freezing of $3.2 billion in state funding. Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber is trying to stand firm against this move at the same time avoiding a direct confrontation, but the administration shows no signs of bending. The next step appears to be an attempt to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status. Through this, the Trump administration hopes to exert control over student admissions, faculty appointments, and even campus protests. Alongside this, universities are now being required to review the social media accounts of student visa applicants before granting admission, with the aim of identifying and blocking so-called ‘troublemakers'. To enforce these controls, visa approvals for Indian students have been temporarily halted. This is to prevent the entry of individuals deemed to hold anti-Semitic views—a category that now includes virtually anyone who criticizes Israel. In essence, the objective is to ensure that no one who might foster anti-Israel sentiment is allowed to set foot on American soil. Harvard officials have approached the U.S. court challenging the decision. In their petition, they plead that halting the funding threatens around 950 critical research projects, including those related to public health and national security, and that the decision is politically motivated and unlawful. Although the court has temporarily stayed the restrictions related to student admissions, a final verdict will only be known after the hearings scheduled for July.
Developments like these in the United States tend to have global reverberations. One major reason is the country’s status as the world’s largest economy, with extensive financial ties across the globe. Another is its political involvement in the affairs of many other nations. Additionally, the U.S. wields considerable influence over numerous smaller countries. Beyond this, there’s also a broader concern: when the U.S. begins to lose its position as a safe haven for democratic values such as freedom of expression and diversity of thought, the damage to those values worldwide becomes significant. In every sense, Trump’s current style of governance and ideological positions are casting a deeply unhealthy influence on the world.